Harnessing the power of offshore wind off the Southern coast
How can wind power us forward?
Nationally, wind is a significant and growing source of energy – In 2024, 73,000 wind turbines generated enough electricity to power 46 million American homes. In our region, both onshore and offshore wind are part of our energy mix, with offshore wind poised to significantly reduce carbon pollution and increase energy independence. In addition to providing power, much of the wind industry supply chain is rooted in our region. A 2024 South Carolina Department of Commerce Study noted that the state is already receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in economic benefits from a cable manufacturing facility and is poised to add upwards of $400 million in new manufacturing investments. In Virginia, despite a reversal of federal support for wind energy, another undersea wind cable plans to open its plant in Chesapeake by 2028 with over 300 employees.
Offshore wind in Virginia
Offshore winds are typically stronger during the afternoon and evening, allowing for a more stable and efficient production of energy when consumer demand is at its peak. They can also complement solar power as offshore winds often increase in the evening, after solar generation begins to decline. The relatively shallow waters off the Virginia and North Carolina coasts offer some of the best wind power sites in the country, and the winds off the southeast coast have the raw potential to meet much of our region’s power demands.
Virginia is delivering on the promise of offshore wind as a source of clean energy and good jobs in our region. Solar and wind energy projects are helping protect the South from costly, dangerous climate risks while shielding customers from volatile, expensive fuel prices that raise energy bills.
Alys Campaigne, Southern Environmental Law Center Climate Initiative Leader
The Mid-Atlantic and Southeast are behind other regions in pursuing the promise of wind energy, but they are catching up. Spurred in part by the passage of the transformative Virginia Clean Economy Act in 2020, Dominion Energy is nearing complete construction of its Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project (CVOW), marking the first step in the buildout of the largest wind facility in federal waters. The 2.6GW facility will go online in 2026, helping to meet Virginia’s surging energy demand by powering the equivalent of 660,000 homes, while supporting 2,000 jobs and $2 billion in economic investments.
Onshore wind in Virginia and North Carolina
Meanwhile, in North Carolina, two onshore wind projects, the Amazon Wind Farm US East and Timbermill Wind Project, are continuing to deliver clean energy and support the local economy. In Virginia, Apex Energy is moving forward with Rocky Forge Wind which is expected to power another 21,000 homes. Onshore wind not only has the lowest average cost of electricity of any energy technology, it also has no fuel costs, which protects electricity customers from the risk of supply disruptions and fuel price spikes.
SELC is providing the expertise our region needs
With expertise in energy law and policy, as well as coast and wetlands protection, we are providing leadership our region needs to safely and strategically tap into the power of wind. SELC worked closely with federal agencies and partners throughout the CVOW project to ensure that clean energy deployment was well sited and responsibly managed.
We continue to share our expertise in the face of changing federal policy threatening offshore wind projects to ensure these new efforts protect our region’s wildlife, create a new sustainable job market, and foster a booming clean-energy economy.