The Bureau of Ocean Power Administration (BOEM) has signaled its approval of the two.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) challenge with a report of resolution that permits improvement to start at scale.
“The Biden-Harris administration simply greenlit development of the nation’s fifth massive-scale offshore wind challenge, rising a brand new American business, decreasing vitality prices, creating good-paying jobs and tackling the local weather disaster,” says White Home Nationwide Local weather Advisor Ali Zaidi. “Extra progress and financial alternative are on the horizon as we put to make use of each device out there to deliver offshore wind advantages to American staff and communities nationwide.”
After contemplating the evaluation and alternate options within the closing environmental influence assertion (EIS), together with public feedback on the draft EIS, BOEM has accredited a mixture of Various B and Various D-1, which incorporates as much as 176 wind generators, every with a capability of 14.7 MW.
This mix will scale back impacts to navigation and a identified fish haven, permit for ocean co-use, and meet the vitality wants of Virginia. Suggestions was gathered via nation-to-nation consultations with Tribes, enter from federal, state and native businesses, and from public conferences and feedback in analyzing the challenge’s potential environmental impacts and growing doable alternate options and mitigation measures.
The report of resolution contains measures geared toward avoiding, minimizing and mitigating the potential impacts which will outcome from the development and operation of the challenge. Amongst these measures, Dominion Power has dedicated to establishing fishery mitigation funds to compensate leisure and industrial fisheries for any losses immediately arising from the challenge.
Dominion Power has additionally dedicated to measures, together with vessel velocity restrictions and development clearance zones, to cut back the potential for impacts to protected species, corresponding to marine mammals, sea turtles and Atlantic sturgeon.
Positioned roughly 23.5 nautical miles offshore Virginia Seashore, CVOW is the biggest offshore wind challenge to obtain federal approval thus far.
Final week, the primary eight monopile foundations for the challenge arrived in Portsmouth, Va. The foundations can be staged at the Portsmouth Marine Terminal till development begins subsequent spring.
