An example of an offshore wind farm: NAJ screen shot
Staff Report –
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Biden administration is seeking public comments on a large offshore wind farm project along the coast of Virginia in the Atlantic Ocean.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the opening of a 30-day public comment period on Jan. 29 for a draft Clean Air Act Outer Continental Shelf air quality permit for Dominion Energy’s coastal Virginia offshore wind commercial project located off the coast of Virginia Beach. EPA is seeking public comments on the draft permit, which proposes to authorize the construction and operation of the largest offshore wind project in the U.S., featuring up to 176 wind turbines located 26 to 38 nautical miles from the coast.
“This project alone will generate roughly 2,640 megawatts of renewable energy, enough to power 660,000 homes, and will make significant contributions to the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of generating 30 gigawatts of clean, abundant energy from offshore wind by 2030,” EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz said in making the announcement.
“EPA plays a significant role in safeguarding our environment while enabling clean energy initiatives that build a sustainable future for the Mid-Atlantic Region,” he said.
Other federal agencies are involved in the project, including the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. The draft OCS air permit includes requirements for the prevention of significant deterioration permitting program. It also includes applicable Virginia Department of Environmental Quality regulations.
The public comment deadline is Feb. 28.
If finalized, the permit will regulate air pollutants from the construction and operation of the wind farm. The draft permit includes pollutant limits for offshore air emissions only and includes air emission standards for all vessels used to construct and support the project while the vessels are within 25 nautical miles of the OCS source’s centroid.
Information about the permit and virtual public hearing can be found online here.
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