President Joe Biden has granted the fifth offshore wind plan approval of his administration in an attempt to lower energy costs and create new jobs.

Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, located 23.5 nautical miles off Virginia Beach, is expected to include 176 Siemens Gamesa 14MW wind turbines. 

Permission from the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to build the facility was first requested in December 2020, but the approval process has taken three years. The first turbine installations are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2024, with completion expected in late 2026.

“Today’s approval of the largest offshore wind project in US history builds on the undeniable momentum we are seeing,” said interior secretary Deb Haaland, adding that the decision demonstrated the government's commitment to “the clean energy future”. 

The project is expected to create around 900 jobs in both the construction and operational...