Vol. 40
Sep 2023
Gathering Power:
Energy-Related Startups Benefit from Renewables Push
While working on a cellular tower a few years back, Kyle Mullins got what he describes as the “call of a lifetime” — an invitation to work on the first two pilot wind turbines for Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project.
Dominion Seeking CVOW Equity Partner
Dominion Energy has announced that it aims to sell a stake in its 2,640 MW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. According to the company, it is seeking a noncontrolling equity financing partner as part of moves to de-risk the project.
In a company statement, Dominion Energy CEO Robert Blue said: "As part of the ongoing business review we continue to evaluate efficient sources of capital to solidly position our balance sheet for the long-term while seeking to minimize any amount of external equity financing need.”
Hampton Roads is Betting Big on “Green Hydrogen.” What Does That Look Like?
Hampton Roads officials are betting big on a new power source: “green hydrogen.” It’s a technology with the potential to cut fossil fuel use in certain industries and reduce the carbon emissions that drive climate change. But unlike the wind turbines and solar panels springing up around the region, the new industry won’t be immediately visible as it develops.
Offshore Wind: U.S. Shipbuilders Answering the Call
President Biden traveled to Philadelphia’s Philly Shipyard in July to attend a steel cutting ceremony for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation's new offshore wind rock placement vessel, hyping his administration’s clean energy agenda and job creation efforts as the U.S. builds up its offshore wind industry.
U.S. Offshore Wind: Long-term Outlook Bright Despite Short-term Concerns
While trouble areas continue to emerge in the young U.S. offshore wind industry, analysts at Intelatus Global Partners maintain an optimistic outlook for the industry in the long term. The business intelligence and consulting firm said in its latest U.S. Offshore Wind Report that it sees long-term foundations for the U.S. offshore wind sector solidifying.
WINDSday Newsletter
Check out the WINDSday newsletter celebrating the power of wind, clean energy and a green environment in Virginia Beach and all of Hampton Roads.
Virginia Offshore Wind Supplier Development Grant
The Virginia Offshore Wind Supplier Development Grant (VOWSD) encourages existing Virginia companies to enter the offshore wind supply chain. The program targets existing manufacturers or manufacturing-adjacent companies who have operated in Virginia for at least one year and have under 250 full-time employees.
Visit VEDP's website to learn more about the grant, including eligibility and requirements.
Member Profile
Keri Douglas - A Big Booster for Offshore Wind

Few people can say they have visited the West Wing, let alone add the title “Presidential Writer” to their resume. But Keri Douglas can. 

The George Mason University (AA) graduate took an unconventional route to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. A college research assignment prompted her to go to Washington, D.C. to conduct an interview about women in politics. By the end of the interview, she was encouraged to fill out an application for potential future employment. She applied, eventually got “the call,” and penned her way to becoming a presidential writer for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.  Douglas also worked as a diarist for President Bush, which means she was one of only five people who had access to the president’s personal and private information, in addition to access to the Presidential Briefing Book to “distill it (information) down for historical research to be included in the National Archives." 

Her professional accomplishments continued and included Confidential Assistant to the Director of the Voice of America, Press Secretary for the Swiss Embassy from 1997-2003, and owner of her own crisis communications business. Douglas visited family in Virginia Beach in 2019 and has never left.  “I love it down here,” she said. “There are so many great things happening.” Douglas is particularly enthusiastic about offshore wind. It is an industry Nicole Ryf, formerly of the Alliance, opened her eyes to, and one Ryf insisted needed more women to support.   

So, Douglas joined Women of Offshore Wind (WOW), and immersed herself in a group she calls, “phenomenal,” and attracts representatives from business sectors that she feels will make the offshore wind industry successful, including through workforce development.  
Douglas, currently Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing for MI Technical Solutions, Inc. in Chesapeake, learned throughout her many career stops that “women adapt to big environments.”  Wind energy, she insists, offers women those big opportunities. It is her hope that women will help advance the industry by continuing “to support one another, recognize one another and work together.” Collaboration promotes success, according to Douglas, which aligns with her employer’s mantra: “Solutions Today, Designed for Tomorrow.”