By ANA LEY
THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
The governors of Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland have agreed to collectively promote offshore wind energy efforts along their shared coastline.
Representatives from each state plan to work together to “cooperatively promote, develop, and expand offshore wind energy and the accompanying industry supply chain and workforce,” according to a prepared statement issued by the three governors.
Developing wind power projects along the Atlantic Coast could support up to 86,000 jobs, spur $57 billion in investment and create up to $25 billion in economic output by 2030, their signed agreement states.
“Harnessing the power of offshore wind is key to meeting the urgency of the climate crisis and achieving 100% clean energy by 2050,” Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said in the statement. “This agreement will help unlock our collective offshore wind resources and generate tremendous economic and environmental benefits for the region.”
Dominion Energy recently said its first two wind turbines, about 27 miles off Virginia Beach, will begin feeding power into the grid this fall. And by 2026, the company says, they and another 220 turbines will produce enough juice to power 660,000 homes.