Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has signed the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), which passed in the state Senate and the House of Delegates in March. The VCEA calls for 73% or more of the state’s electricity coming from clean energy by 2035, achieving the 100% goal by 2050.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Virginia generated only 7% of its electricity from renewable sources as of 2018. To boost Virginia’s renewable energy production, initial milestones in the governor’s plan include generating 2,500 MW of offshore wind energy by 2026, part of the overall 5.2GW by 2034, as well as 3,000 MW of solar and land-based wind by 2022. In fulfilment of the offshore wind portion, Dominion Energy is developing what could be the largest offshore wind project in the country. The US$ 7.8 billion project would place 220 turbines 27 miles off Virginia Beach, producing 2,640MW. Dominion aims to bring the project online by 2026.