Successful Pilot Program Sets Course for Dominion Energy’s Renewable Energy Plan
ALEXANDRIA, VA – Dominion Energy announced earlier today that reliability testing on the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) pilot program has completed successfully. The pilot program involved two turbines operating at 12 megawatts, located 27 miles from the Virginia Beach coast. The positive outcome of the project means that the turbines are ready to provide clean, renewable energy 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 next significant regulatory step for CVOW is to submit the final documentation for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to conduct a technical review. he turbines will remain in operation during this process, which is expected to finish by the end of the year.
The company will apply the 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 the U.S., is on track to begin construction in 2024. Upon completion, 660,000 homes will be powered by renewable electricity.
Offshore wind generation is a major component of Dominion Energy’s comprehensive clean energy strategy to meet standards mandated in the Virginia Clean Economy Act. It will also help achieve the company’s net zero carbon dioxide and methane emissions commitment by 2050.
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