Richmond’s Dominion Energy Inc. (NYSE: D) said Tuesday it had received the final two federal approvals it needed to begin construction on its $9.8 billion wind farm off the coast of Virginia Beach.
The 2.6-gigawatt farm, which will total 176 turbines more than 20 miles offshore in the Atlantic Ocean, is expected to generate enough renewable energy to power up 660,000 homes once it is complete. It is being touted as the nation’s largest offshore wind farm.
Bob Blue, Dominion’s chair, president and CEO, said in a statement the approvals will keep the wind farm’s construction “on time and on budget as we focus on our mission of providing customers with reliable, affordable and increasingly clean energy.”
The final approvals came from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Army Corps of Engineers. Construction is expected to begin in May with an eye on completion in 2026.
Dominion said more than 750 Virginia-based workers have been engaged to work on the wind farm or businesses supporting the wind farm so far, including construction of a monitoring and coordination center and maritime work. Some onshore construction began in 2023. More than 1,000 local jobs will be needed to support the farm’s operations and maintenance once it begins operating.
