NORFOLK, VA — A federal judge will hear arguments Friday that could determine the future of Dominion Energy's offshore wind project off Virginia Beach, where construction remains paused after federal officials cited national security concerns.
The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project sits about 26 miles off the Virginia Beach coast. The multi-billion-dollar project was months from completion when the Interior Department ordered a 90-day suspension of work.
The pause affects large-scale offshore wind projects nationwide and follows concerns raised by the Department of Defense, including potential radar interference caused by rotating turbine blades.
"From a citizen's perspective it's pretty disappointing," Mike Kelly said.
Dominion Energy has argued the project is essential to meeting Virginia's growing energy demand and supporting critical military and civilian infrastructure, warning that stopping work threatens grid reliability, raises energy costs, and puts thousands of jobs at risk.
Earlier this week, a federal judge ruled in favor of Danish energy company Ørsted, allowing construction to continue on its Revolution Wind project after finding the government failed to justify halting a nearly completed wind farm. Legal analysts say Dominion is expected to cite that ruling in its argument.
"All this equipment is already staged. Letting it just sit there doesn't make sense," Kelly said.
The judge's decision Friday could determine whether construction resumes or remains paused while the case moves forward.
I reached out to Dominion Energy for comment about Friday's hearing, but I did not hear back by deadline.
