Virginia Gains 1st Offshore Wind Energy Research Lease in Federal Waters

The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Commonwealth of Virginia announced on March 24 that they have signed the 1st lease for offshore wind energy research in federal waters.

Under this lease, Virginia's Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy suggests to design, develop, and demonstrate a grid-connected, 12-megawatt (MW) wind test facility off the coast of Virginia, adjacent to the Virginia Wind Energy Area. The data obtained and lessons learned from this plan will be made public, and inform future production of renewable energy within the Virginia Wind Energy Area, a location which covers 112,000 acres approximately 24 nautical miles from the Virginia Beach coastline. The area has the potential to support in excess of 2,000 MW of wind energy generation.

Execution of the 30-year lease is a step in the plan to allow Dominion Virginia Power to construct and operate the Virginia Offshore Wind Technology Advancement Project, a grid-connected, offshore wind demonstration plan consisting of 2 6-MW turbines. See the BOEM news release and the Commonwealth of Virginia news release.

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