Virginia’s Growing Role as the South’s Offshore Wind Giant will be Focus of September Summit
Co-Hosted by the Business Network for Offshore Wind & Sierra Club Virginia Chapter
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam will headline the one-day Norfolk Summit on September 21st
Norfolk, VA – The Business Network for Offshore Wind and the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter will co-host a one-day 2018 Virginia Offshore Wind Executive Summit to bring together the supply-chain business community with federal and state government officials to accelerate inclusion of large-scale offshore wind within Virginia’s energy mix and ready its port infrastructure to support the new industry.
At the Summit, Governor Ralph Northam will discuss offshore wind’s important impact on the growth of both the state’s clean energy mix and job creation.
WHEN: Friday, Sept. 21, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
WHERE: Hilton Norfolk The Main at 100 East Main St. Norfolk, VA
The Summit also will feature Fred Zalcman, Head of Government Affairs at Ørsted North America, a Network member. Additional representatives from Virginia’s Dominion Energy, Siemens-Gamesa, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and many others will be on hand.
Virginia’s focus on scale will drive the Summit’s message about its growing role as the South’s offshore wind giant. Dominion, the state’s largest utility, leased a 100,000-acre area located about 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. This commercial lease area has the potential to support more than 2,000 megawatts of offshore wind generation – enough to power over 500,000 homes.
Virginia also holds the only offshore US research lease. Dominion is partnered with Ørsted, a Danish energy company and a recognized global leader in offshore wind development, to build the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project (CVOW) which involves two 6 MW turbines in this research area. Anticipating completion by 2020, the CVOW project will be the first constructed in federal waters and the first owned by an electric utility.
Dominion Energy filed with Virginia’s State Corporation Commission (SCC) for approval of the CVOW project as one providing critical permitting, construction and operational experience to the benefit of ultimately developing its larger 2,000 MW commercial project. Siemens-Gamesa has been selected as the turbine supplier for the CVOW project.
Media should register for the Executive Summit with Karen Hinton, Business Network for Offshore Wind, 703-798-3109, Karen@karenhinton.com and/or Eileen Woll, Sierra Club Virginia Chapter, 757-277-8537, eileen.woll@sierraclub.org.
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About the Business Network for Offshore Wind: The Business Network for Offshore Wind is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing an offshore wind supply chain in the United States. The Network (www.offshorewindus.org) is focused on delivering education, creating partnerships and advancing the industry. All membership and event proceeds are invested back into supporting the industry by helping the Network continue programmatic education and develop the tools and networks necessary to create a US offshore wind supply chain. The Network hosts the annual International Partnering Forum (IPF). The leading technical conference for offshore wind in the United States dedicated to moving the industry forward.
About the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter: The Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club is over 20,000 members strong. We are your friends and neighbors working to build healthy, livable communities, and to conserve and protect our climate and environment. The Virginia Chapter is part of the national Sierra Club, the nation’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org/virginia
Karen Hinton
100 Jay Street
Katonah, NY 10536
Follow me on Twitter @KarenHinton
703-798-3109
Karen@karenhinton.com