RICHMOND (AP) -- Federal regulators have received leasing proposals from two Virginia companies seeking to develop offshore wind farms off Virginia Beach.
The farms would be capable of supplying clean energy to hundreds of thousands of homes.
Apex Wind Energy Inc. of Charlottesville is proposing to lease 116,000 acres for an undetermined number of wind turbines with the potential to generate up to 1,500 megawatts of power.
Seawind Renewable Energy Corp. of suburban Richmond envisions building 240 turbines to generate enough power for more than 250,000 homes annually, according to a company statement.
Both wind projects are proposed for areas that would put them out of sight of the coast but within shipping lanes, migratory birds and busy sea traffic from Naval Station Norfolk, the world's largest naval base. NASA's launch facility on Wallops Island on the Eastern Shore also limits some activity off the coast.
The proposed wind farms would be located well within the area 50 miles off the Virginia coast that is being considered for gas and oil drilling.
Thecompaniesacknowledge the lease application is the first step in a long process, which could take five years before any wind is harnessed for energy.
'There's still a lot of science that needs to be done,' said Eamon Perrel of Apex Wind, based in Charlottesville. 'We don't know what wind speeds are like out there.'
What that science reveals will determine what type of turbines will be used and how fully the 100,000 acres can be developed, said Perrel, business development manager for Apex.
Both companies are involved in a new group aimed atpromotingoffshore wind energy in Virginia
Last month,Va. Beach Mayor Will Sessoms, Norfolk Mayor Paul D. Fraim,Rep. Glenn Nye and industry leaders announced thecreation ofthe Virginia Offshore Wind Coalitionto promote offshore wind energy in Virginia.
'Our goal is to be the Silicon Valley of wind energy on the East Coast,' Sessoms said. 'Promoting wind energy off Virginia's coast is good for business and good for the environment.'
Coalition members include the Cities of Virginia Beach and Norfolk, Apex Offshore Wind, AREVA, BAE Systems Ship Repair, Colonna's Shipyard, Dominion Virginia Power, Earl Energy, Fugro Atlantic, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, Science Applications International Corporation, Seawind Renewable Energy Corporation, Weeks Marine and W. F. Magann.
VOWestimates the development of a wind power hub in Virginia has the potential to become an $80 billion industry creating more than 10,000 jobs.
The Sierra Club of Virginia estimates the state could be producing 20 percent of its energy needs from offshore winds within a decade.
Theo J. de Wolff of Seawind said Virginia is positioned to take the lead, with a deep-water port essential to supporting the infrastructure an offshore wind farm would require.
Massive offshore wind turbines can rise 300 feet from the ocean surface, supporting blades up to 200 feet across.
'Offshore wind for Virginia is a great opportunity,' de Wolff said. 'There is a lot of heavy manufacturing involved in offshore wind and the Hampton Roads region is set up for that manufacturing and to take a big part of that.'
