NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper traveled to Norfolk Thursday August 4 to visit Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) pilot project.
Gov. Cooper joined Dominion Energy President and CEO Bob Blue for a boat trip to the project and observed Dominion Energy’s two wind turbines that are operating 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach.
“We want to see how it works, we want to see all of the precautions they’re taking to protect marine life, to make sure boats can navigate,” said Governor Cooper. “Obviously people get concerned about vistas and making sure that people can view and don’t have a problem with that.”
The Governor also said that the clean energy economy is where the future of the country is headed and that this project will create many jobs for residents of both North Carolina and Virginia.
“We know that the clean energy economy will bring great-paying jobs to North Carolina (and) to Virginia,” Governor Cooper explained. “We also know we need to fight climate change but at the same time, we can be putting money in everyday people’s pockets with the great paying jobs that are coming from the clean energy economy.”
The North Carolina Governor is now headed to Elizabeth City Thursday and is meeting with people to discuss planning more offshore wind projects off the coast of North Carolina.