Dominion Energy: Supporting local economies through investments in renewable energy 

Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project plans to build 176 wind turbines and three substations off the coast of the Hampton Roads region of Virginia, along with accompanying onshore transmission lines.iOnce completed, this will be the largest offshore wind project in the U.S. and is expected to support economic development in the region and provide new, clean energy jobs. Economic analysis performed by the firm Magnum Economics predicts that the project will result in 900 new jobs and millions of dollars in economic output and local and state tax revenues.iiTo fill new jobs, Dominion Energy has agreed to hire and train local workers, with a focus on employing veterans and workers from historically marginalized communities. 

Throughout the planning process, Dominion Energy has engaged with the local community in a variety of ways, holding public meetings and producing materials in multiple languages.iiiIn addition, they created the online tool GeoVoice to allow community members to view and provide feedback on transmission line route options.ivCommunity feedback, along with an analysis of existing infrastructure, historical sites, and community and natural resources, was essential to the final route decision. 

Construction for CVOW is expected to begin in 2024, with completion in 2026. 

Endnotes

• iCoastal Virginia Offshore Wind, "About Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind," https://coastalvawind.com/about-offshore-wind.aspx (accessed June 12, 2023).
• iiMangum Economics and Hampton Roads Alliance, Potential Impact of the Development of the Offshore Wind Energy Industry on Hampton Roads and Virginia (Glen Allen, Va.: Mangum Economics, 2020), https://hamptonroadsalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Offshore-Wind-Economic-Impact-Report-092820.pdf.
• iiiDominion Energy, Climate Report 2022 (Richmond, Va.: Dominion Energy, 2022), https://esg.dominionenergy.com/assets/pdf/2022-Climate-Report.pdf.
• ivCoastal Virginia Offshore Wind, "About Delivering Wind Power," https://coastalvawind.com/about-offshore-wind/delivering-wind-power.aspx (accessed June 12, 2023).