Northam signs legislation to set stage for offshore wind energy

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP)- Virginia’s governor has ceremonially signed legislation that sets the stage for the approval of two large-scale offshore wind farms that could produce enough electricity to power more than a million homes in the state.

The two proposed projects would be located off the coasts of Virginia and North Carolina.

They’re part of a projected boom in the nation’s nascent offshore wind industry that is being driven by plummeting construction costs and surging demand for renewable energy.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed the legislation Monday.

Northam also viewed two wind turbines 27 miles (about 44 kilometers) off of Virginia’s coast that are part of a pilot project.

No offshore wind projects are planned for the coast of the Eastern Shore. NASA has opposed such a project citing concerns that having offshore wind turbines would interfere with launches from the Wallops Flight Facility.