The Chairmen of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission and the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission have written to their representatives in their respective General Assembly delegations expressing their support for Governor Northam's proposal to create a Virginia Office for Offshore Wind. The office would serve as a point-of-contact for businesses, help align industry needs with Virginia's maritime workforce capabilities, and develop a plan to achieve the Commonwealth's offshore wind energy goals. Both Planning Districts passed resolutions in support of the pilot offshore wind project being implemented by Dominion Energy.
According to Virginia Advanced Energy Economy there are nearly 100,000 energy related jobs in the Commonwealth. Experts believe the East Coast is one of the most promising areas for offshore wind development in the world. A report released by Governor Northam titled, "The Virginia Advantage: The Roadmap for the Offshore Wind Supply Chain in Virginia" analyzes Virginia's strategic position in the emerging U.S. offshore wind industry. The "Roadmap" estimate that an East Coast pipeline of projects resulting in 8 gigawatts of installed capacity by 2030 would support up to 37,000 jobs per year.
To read the letter and resolutions adopted by the Commissions click here.