Dominion Energy completes construction of 12 MW pilot Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project

Dominion Energy has successfully installed the two Siemens Gamesa turbines of the 12-megawatt Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) pilot project 27 miles off Virginia Beach. The first offshore wind farm to be approved by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and installed in federal waters, and second constructed in the United States, was built safely and on schedule despite the worldwide impact from the coronavirus pandemic. The turbines will now undergo acceptance testing before being energized later this summer and producing enough clean, renewable energy, at peak output, to power 3,000 Virginia homes.

Dominion Energy will apply the valuable permitting, design, installation, and operations experience from the pilot project to its proposed 2,600-megawatt commercial project. That project, which is the largest announced offshore wind project in North America, is on track to commence construction in 2024, and upon completion, will provide enough renewable electricity to power up to 650,000 homes.

Ørsted is serving as the offshore engineering, procurement, and construction lead for the project. The L. E. Myers Company with members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, performed the onshore construction work.