PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Construction is back underway on Virginia’s largest offshore wind energy project after a federal judge cleared a pause ordered by the U.S. government late last year, and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine says the milestone highlights both economic and strategic opportunities for the Commonwealth.
Kaine, D-Va., toured the Portsmouth Marine Terminal on Wednesday, where crews recently assembled the first full wind turbine destined for Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project.
He called it a “Virginia pride moment” and said keeping the long-awaited initiative on schedule is critical for the region’s defense infrastructure and economy.
“The first tower was being installed today,” Kaine said during remarks at the terminal.
The $11 billion CVOW, located about 27 to 44 miles off Virginia Beach’s coast, is expected to include 176 wind turbines capable of generating about 2.6 gigawatts of renewable electricity, enough to power roughly 660,000 homes when fully operational.
Federal Halt, Legal Fight and Restart
Work on the project had been halted in December 2025 when the Trump administration issued a stop-work order, citing unspecified national security concerns tied to offshore wind development.
Officials with the Department of the Interior said the pause was intended to assess “emerging national security risks,” including potential radar interference from large turbine installations, though details were classified.
Dominion Energy quickly sued to block the pause, calling the order “arbitrary and capricious” and warning that the stop-work directive was costing the utility millions of dollars per day in idle vessels and crews.
Last week, a federal judge in Norfolk granted a preliminary injunction, allowing construction to resume while the legal challenge proceeds. The ruling was part of a broader trend of courts allowing multiple East Coast offshore wind projects to resume despite the federal pause.
Economic and Strategic Importance
Kaine emphasized the importance of reliable and redundant energy for both civilian and military needs across Hampton Roads, one of the nation’s most heavily militarized regions.
“Our bases in this area need reliable energy, and they need reliable and even cheap and redundant energy,” Kaine said. “You put this much power on the grid, it’s going to be much more for our shipyard, for the bases in this region.”
The region is home to major shipbuilding and defense installations, and officials have long touted offshore wind as a way to diversify energy sources while supporting local industry.
Ratepayers and Workforce Training
During his visit, Kaine also addressed concerns related to project costs and customer impact. Dominion customers have been paying for the project through monthly bills for years under approval from state utility regulators, but there has been no formal plan to reimburse ratepayers for costs tied to the federal pause.
“If they move quickly and then we start to see how good this is and the amount of power that it’s producing, then we might be able to find some ability to lift that cost off the shoulders of ratepayers,” Kaine said.
Kaine was also asked whether the renewed focus on offshore wind could spur expanded workforce training, particularly in shipbuilding and related trades across Hampton Roads.
He said he’s urging President Donald Trump and Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger to support increased funding for workforce development in the coming year, including investments from the governor’s own cabinet to prepare workers for emerging energy and maritime jobs.
“Her secretary of commerce and some of her other cabinet leaders need to also really look at this workforce issue and invest in it,” Kaine said.
Continuing Challenges
While construction has restarted, the broader offshore wind industry continues to grapple with political and legal uncertainty. The Trump administration’s pause affected five major East Coast projects, including those off Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island, and courts have so far been the venue for resolving disputes over the federal actions.
Still, local leaders view the recent progress in Portsmouth as an important step toward bringing cleaner energy online and strengthening the region’s economic future.
