Virginia Beach Secures 30 Acres for Offshore Wind Energy

Virginia Beach is moving forward with plans to become a major hub for clean energy from the ocean, renewing a partnership that could bring affordable wind power to hundreds of thousands of homes.

The Virginia Beach Development Authority approved a deal last week allowing Dominion Energy to purchase about 30 acres at Corporate Landing Business Park within the next five years. The utility will use the land for onshore infrastructure that connects massive ocean turbines to the power grid.

This land could support a future wind farm located about 25 miles south in North Carolina waters, off the Outer Banks coast. If built, the project called CVOW South could generate up to 800 megawatts of electricity, enough to power roughly 200,000 homes by the mid-2030s.

The site is separate from Virginia's current flagship wind project, which is already under construction 27 miles east of the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. That larger 2.6-gigawatt farm will be one of the biggest offshore wind operations in the United States when completed.

Dominion acquired the North Carolina lease area in 2024 for $160 million from another energy company. While the utility hasn't set firm timelines or budgets yet, securing the Virginia Beach land keeps options open for future development.

The Ripple Effect

This deal represents more than just real estate. Virginia passed the Clean Economy Act in 2020, requiring utilities to source 5.2 gigawatts of electricity from offshore wind by 2035. The existing Virginia Beach wind farm will produce about half that goal, making additional projects like CVOW South crucial for meeting clean energy targets.

The agreement also shows how coastal communities can work together across state lines on renewable energy. Virginia Beach provides the onshore connection point while North Carolina's offshore waters host the turbines, creating a regional approach to fighting climate change.

For the land option, Dominion will pay Virginia Beach at least $200,000 per acre, plus $120,000 annually until purchase. That money goes back into the local community while supporting infrastructure that will deliver clean power for decades.

Despite political headwinds at the federal level affecting some new wind projects, Virginia's commitment to ocean energy remains strong, creating jobs and positioning the region as a renewable energy leader on the East Coast.