Kiggans, Wittman seek answers after federal pause of offshore wind projects
Republican U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans of Virginia Beach and Rob Wittman of Westmoreland joined seven other members of Congress in pressing the administration of President Donald Trump for answers after a federal decision to pause offshore wind development, including Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project.
In a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the lawmakers called for greater transparency around the 90-day halt, which the Department of Interior said was prompted by national security concerns detailed in confidential reports.
“We respectfully request additional information on the analysis underlying the recent decision, including how radar interference, environmental tradeoffs, long-term subsidy exposure, workforce impacts, and broader national security considerations were assessed,” the letter read.
Dominion’s $11.2 billion project is nearing completion, with the first power expected to be delivered to the grid by the end of March, even with the temporary pause. Construction on the wind turbines resumed after nearly three weeks when a federal judge allowed work to move forward while court proceedings continue.
The initial order suggested the turbines could pose potential radar interference. In their letter, the lawmakers asked for the “evidence-based evaluation” that led officials to determine the pause was necessary.
Once finished, the 176-turbine project is expected to deliver 2.6 gigawatts of power to the grid — enough to supply more than 660,000 homes — at a time when Virginia faces growing energy demand.
Dominion has installed the first blades on the first full-scale turbine, beyond the two pilot turbines installed in 2020. The company has repeatedly said the project was thoroughly reviewed for national security concerns.
“The project has been more than 10 years in the works, involved close coordination with the military, and is located 27 to 44 miles offshore, so far offshore it does not raise visual impact concerns. The project’s two pilot turbines have been operating for five years without causing any impacts to national security,” Dominion said in a statement following the 90-day pause announcement.
The lawmakers warned that additional delays to offshore wind projects nearing completion could threaten jobs and undermine grid reliability.
“Completing these projects according to plan is essential to achieving American energy dominance and strengthening our national security by reducing reliance on energy produced by our adversaries,” the letter said.
“Offshore wind is also a critical component of the broader energy capacity needed to support advanced manufacturing and data infrastructure, including winning the artificial intelligence race.”
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