VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Dominion Energy announced it has agreed to purchase a 40,000-acre lease off the coast of North Carolina's Outer Banks, which could be the future site of offshore wind turbines.
Dominion announced it was acquiring the site, previously known as "Kitty Hawk North Wind," from Avangrid for approximately $160 million. Dominion said the site would be renamed "CVOW-South" and it could support 800 MW of offshore wind generation capacity for 200,000 homes and businesses by the 2030s.
The potential wind farm would be located more than 27 miles off the coast of Corolla, North Carolina, and 36 miles off the coast of the Sandbridge community in Virginia Beach.
"With electric demand in our Virginia territory projected to double in the next 13 years, Dominion Energy is securing access to power generation resources that ensure we continue to provide the reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean energy that powers our customers every day," Robert M. Blue, chair, president and chief executive officer of Dominion Energy, said in a news release.
Members of the Sandbridge community have previously expressed opposition to the wind farm site, due to plans for electricity cables to run underground in the area, which would connect to a power station in the Corporate Landing Business Park.
Members of the Sandbridge Beach Civic League voted against Avangrid's plan in 2022 with the hopes that the cables would be rerouted, and not necessarily in opposition to offshore wind in general.
In announcing their acquisition on Monday, Dominion acknowledged the concerns with the Sandbridge community.
"The company is aware of the community concerns regarding the proposed landing site in Sandbridge, Va., and is committed to working closely with the community, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the City of Virginia Beach as it considers this project," Dominion Energy said in its news release.
In a statement to 13News Now, the group Protect Sandbridge Beach said: "We remain concerned about any proposed landfall in Sandbridge and will be working closely with our community to review any landfall proposals put forward by Dominion Energy."
