The Permitting Council (Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council) has announced that Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind is the latest project to complete its required federal environmental permitting review and authorizations with permitting assistance from the Council. The $9.8 billion renewable energy project is expected to power up to 660,000 homes.
“Offshore wind energy is a cornerstone of the Permitting Council portfolio, representing nearly half of the projects currently receiving permitting assistance from our agency,” said Eric Beightel, Permitting Council Executive Director. “These final approvals for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project represent a significant milestone in our work, as it is the largest offshore wind energy project in U.S. history, helping to lead the way to a clean energy future nationwide.”
Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind is a 2.6 gigawatt offshore wind project that will consist of 176 wind turbines 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. Expected to create 900 direct and indirect Virginia jobs annually during construction, project sponsors anticipate that it will avoid carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to removing more than 1 million cars off the road each year.
The project began receiving permitting assistance from the Permitting Council in February of 2021, reaching the conclusion of the process in just over three years. It now joins Empire Wind Energy, Revolution Wind Farm and South Fork Wind Farm as completed FAST-41 covered offshore wind projects.
