According to the governor’s executive order,
at least 3,000 megawatts of electricity will
be generated from solar and onshore wind
sources by 2022. And by 2026, up to 2,500
megawatts of electricity will be generated by
offshore wind sources. Currently, the state does
not generate any large-scale electricity through
wind farms, according to the U.S. Energy
Information Administration.
Dominion Energy announced last month
that it is building a 220-turbine wind farm off
Virginia’s coastline. The project, projected to cost
$7.8 billion, will be the largest offshore wind
development in the U.S. Once the wind farm is
complete, Dominion claims it will power 650,000
homes at peak wind.
“Governor Ralph Northam has made it clear
Virginia is committed to leading the way in
offshore wind,” Mark Mitchell, vice president of
generation construction for Dominion Energy,
said in a press release. “We are rising to this
challenge with this 2,600-megawatt commercial
offshore wind development.”
DEQ is responsible for administering state and
federal environmental policy in Virginia. The
agency issues permits to regulate levels of
pollution throughout the state.
Image: Steve Helber