Giant CVOW Offshore Wind Farm At Risk If Dem Wins Gov Race

The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, a massive 2.6-gigawatt offshore wind farm developed by Dominion Energy, has been progressing steadily since its lease was issued by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in 2013. The project has benefited from advancements in offshore turbine technology and the recent availability of specialized US-built service operations vessels (SOVs), which comply with the Jones Act—a 1920s maritime law restricting foreign-built ships from transporting goods between US ports. Notably, Dominion’s US-built offshore wind ship, Charybdis, launched in 2024 and is now operational in Virginia, poised to accelerate the CVOW’s completion targeted for 2026. Despite strong bipartisan support for CVOW in Virginia, including from Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin and US Representative Jen Kiggans, the project’s future may be uncertain due to the upcoming gubernatorial election. While Youngkin has been a vocal advocate, his term limit and the