Judge Denies Plea to Halt Virginia Beach Offshore Wind Project

A U.S. federal judge has denied a request to halt the construction of Dominion Energy's Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project in Virginia Beach.

In March, the Heartland Institute and the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow filed a lawsuit in federal court against several U.S. agencies, including the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. 

The groups argued that the government "illegally approved Dominion Energy’s offshore wind project by ignoring glaring and obvious procedural errors that subject the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale to further grave harm."

Dominion Energy immediately countered that the lawsuit's claims were without merit. Despite the decision to allow construction to proceed, the lawsuit will continue in the autumn, but the CVOW project will move forward as planned during the legal proceedings.

In her ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Loren AliKhan stated that the plaintiffs failed to acknowledge the extensive measures already implemented to mitigate potential harm to the North Atlantic Right Whales during the wind farm's construction. The judge noted that the plaintiffs did not explain why these measures would be insufficient.

The CVOW project will feature 176 turbines located approximately 45 km off the coast. Dominion Energy asserts that the 2.6GW offshore wind project will generate enough energy to power up to 660,000 homes. Scheduled for completion in 2026, it is expected to be the largest commercial offshore wind farm in the U.S.

Earlier this month, Dominion received approval to begin construction, and DEME's Orion vessel installed the first monopile just days before the judge's ruling.