HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - Thursday, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam was in Hampton Roads to talk about offshore wind energy.
His visit is part of a two-day event all about wind energy, but more specifically, it was about Dominion Energy building wind turbines off of Virginia's coast.
Back in June, Dominion Energy began building two wind turbines off the coast of Virginia Beach. And with this project under development, Dominion Energy and the Business Network for Offshore Wind are sponsoring a conference about Virginia's first deep dive into federal waters - with hopes of harnessing energy from its windy coastal position.
Dominion Energy started the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project a few months ago to build the two wind turbines – each standing more than 100 feet taller than the Westin Virginia Beach Town Center, which is the state’s tallest building.
The turbines will have the distinction of being America's first turbines in federal waters.
Back in May, Old Dominion University hosted a town hall meeting about offshore wind energy and how Hampton Roads could benefit from opportunities that could come along with the venture.
“I think it is another splendid opportunity for us in Hampton Roads to take advantage of,” said ODU President John Broderick back in May. “Hopefully this is the start of more people getting excited, more people being informed and let’s hope it leads to something positive.”
The Sierra Club has also been working with communities by sharing information and knowledge on the turbines.
In an October 2018 town hall-style meeting, the club, elected officials and solar experts spoke with the community about the opportunities an investment could bring.
