Renewable energy company, Avangrid Renewables, is moving ahead with the Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind project.
The onshore and offshore wind developer submitted Friday a construction and operations plan to the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, or BOEM, for the first phase of the Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind project, a proposed offshore wind energy project 27 miles from the Outer Banks in the 122,405-acre Kitty Hawk Wind Energy Area.
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“We’re proud to be the first to submit a federal permit for a commercial scale offshore wind project in Virginia and the Carolinas,” said Bill White, Avangrid Renewables’ head of U.S. offshore wind, in a statement. “Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind will deliver clean energy to customers in the region and significant economic benefits and quality jobs for decades to come.”
The plan includes the findings from an economic impact study by the Public Strategy Group, “which anticipates substantial economic and employment benefits to result from the construction of Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind’s multiple phases between 2021 and 2030,” according to the company.
Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind is expected to generate $2 billion in economic impact between 2021 and 2030 and is expected to create nearly 800 jobs in Virginia and North Carolina, with nearly 600 of those in the Hampton Roads region which includes southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, according to Avangrid Renewables.
Construction on the first phase of the project is expected to begin in 2024. This phase will be able to generate about 800 megawatts, or MW, of electricity. When all phases are complete, Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind is expected to generate up to 2,500 MW, or enough to power 700,000 homes, about four times the number of households in Virginia Beach, with clean energy.
“The offshore wind industry presents tremendous opportunity to the Hampton Roads region,” said Doug Smith, president and CEO of the Hampton Roads Alliance. “I look forward to working with Avangrid Renewables as they develop the Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind project and deliver substantial economic benefits to the Hampton Roads region.”
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To learn more about the project, visit www.kittyhawkoffshore.com.
