Va. partners with neighbors on offshore wind
Virginia’s Governor Tim Kaine joined forces with the Governors of Delaware and Maryland on Wednesday, forming a partnership for the purpose of promoting the development of offshore wind power along the East Coast. The formation of the partnership follows on Governor Kaine’s request in October that the U.S. Department of the Interior establish a federal-regional-state task force to coordinate the development of offshore wind energy. According to the Virginian-Pilot, the new partnership will “work together on promoting federal policies, transmission strategies and other issues to advance offshore power in the mid-Atlantic region.”
Optimal conditions such as shallow waters and the low risk of major hurricanes off their coasts make Virginia, Delaware and Maryland ideal locations for large-scale offshore wind power installations. Experts believe Virginia could generate as much as 20% of its electricity supply from sprawling offshore wind farms containing anywhere from 100 to 200 turbines situated 12 to 15 miles off the coast. The U.S. Department of the Interior will oversee the leasing of coastal areas for wind development. Several wind energy developers have expressed interest in Virginia’s offshore resources.
