Dominion Energy has said that its two-turbine, 12-megawatt Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) pilot project, offshore Virginia Beach, successfully completed reliability testing and is ready to enter commercial service and deliver electricity to Virginia customers.
"This is a monumental day for the Commonwealth and the burgeoning offshore wind industry in America as CVOW is ready to deliver clean, renewable energy to our Virginia customers," said Joshua Bennett, Dominion Energy vice president of offshore wind. "Our team has worked diligently with key stakeholders and regulators while safely navigating through the coronavirus pandemic to complete this vitally important project that is a key step to reducing carbon emissions."
The installation of the two pilot turbines, at a site 27 miles off the coast, was completed in June. Ørsted served as the offshore engineering, procurement and construction lead for the pilot project.
Dominion Energy said that the next significant regulatory step for CVOW is to submit the final documentation for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to complete its technical review, which is expected to be complete by the end of the year.
VIDEO: Power On at Two Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) Turbines
The turbines will remain in operation during this review process, Dominion Energy said.
The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind pilot project is the only project currently permitted under the BOEM process and will be the first fully operational wind power generation facility in U.S. federal waters with the capability to generate enough electricity to power up to 3,000 Virginia homes.
Dominion has said that it will apply permitting, design, installation and operations experience from the pilot project to its proposed 2,600-megawatt commercial project.
The giant 2.6GW offshore wind project is slated to begin construction in 2024, and upon completion, will provide enough renewable electricity to power up to 660,000 homes.
The operator has also cited a study according to which the CVOW commercial project could create approximately 900 jobs and $143 million in economic impact annually during construction and 1,100 jobs and almost $210 million in economic impact annually during operation of the turbines.
"Similarly, during construction, the 2.6-gigawatt CVOW commercial project is estimated to generate nearly $5 million per year in local and state tax revenue which increases to almost $11 million annually once the project is commissioned and operational," Dominion Energy said.
An October 22 webinar presented by World Energy Reports, Ørsted and ABS will deliver insights on the current progress, future pace and direction of development in the North American offshore wind market. Register here.