Dominion Energy reached another construction milestone for its wind farm project off the coast of Virginia Beach.
Crews installed the first turbine tower – a massive cylinder around 482 feet above sea level – Wednesday, Dominion spokesperson Jeremy Slayton said.
The enormous installation ship Charybdis has now installed the structure’s tower, one turbine and a housing unit called the nacelle, Slayton said Friday.
The progress comes just days after a federal judge allowed construction to continue while he hears a case from Dominion challenging a December decision by the Trump administration to pause construction on five wind farms, citing what officials said were classified national security risks related to radar interference.
Two Republican lawmakers representing Hampton Roads also are asking the Department of Defense and Department of Interior for additional clarity on the stop work order. U.S. Reps. Jen Kiggans and Rob Wittman were among the nine lawmakers who sent a letter Jan. 22 asking for additional information on the analysis underlying the recent decision, including “how radar interference, environmental tradeoffs, long-term subsidy exposure, workforce impacts, and broader national security considerations were assessed.”
“Transparency on these issues is essential to maintaining public confidence and ensuring our energy policies advance both economic growth and national security,” the lawmakers wrote.
Virginia Democrats, including Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner and U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, have criticized the decision to pause the project.
The electric utility plans to install 176 wind turbines 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. The project began in May 2024 and is about 70% complete.
Dominion says the $11.2 billion project will create about 900 jobs and more than $143 million in economic output each year during construction and 1,100 jobs and almost $210 million in economic output each year during operation.
