Obama Administration Announces Key Step Forward for Offshore Wind for Virginia

Update by Miles: “Dominion Virginia Power is interested in building up to 400 wind turbines in Atlantic waters in what could be a powerful message for an emerging domestic source of clean energy,” reports the AP.

Good news, courtesy of Environment Virginia (see statement on the “flip”) and the Obama Administration. Of course, Bob McDonnell – and even, in fairness, several leading Democrats – continue to focus on dirty energy development, including risky oil drilling off our coast (need I remind these folks of the Gulf of Mexico disaster?). That’s misguided, given that the answer for Virginia, America, and our planet clearly is to move as fast as possible in the direction of energy efficiency, wind, solar, and other forms of clean, inexhaustible, 100% “made in the USA” energy. In other words, time to move forward into the 21st century, not stay tethered to filthy, increasingly outmoded 19th and 20th century energy sources (which, I’d add, continue to receive huge taxpayer-funded subsidies, which they have for over a century now – why?!?).

Obama Administration Announces Key Step Forward for Offshore Wind for Virginia

Richmond, VA-Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced a major step towards developing wind energy off the coasts of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia this morning. Joined by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Director Tommy P. Beaudreau in Baltimore, Secretary Salazar announced that the environmental review of the proposed areas for wind development found no significant impacts, signaling a step closer to wind turbines spinning off our coasts.

Environment Virginia State Associate Caroline Kory issued the following statement in response:

“There is tremendous potential for producing clean, pollution-free wind energy off of Virginia’s coast. We are thrilled that the Obama administration has announced another critical step forward in making this vision a reality.

“Tapping into the power of offshore wind off of Virginia is vital to getting our state and the nation off fossil fuels without creating more pollution.  A report released by Environment America and the National Wildlife Federation shows that along the Atlantic coast alone, reaching the Department of Energy’s conservative goal of 54 gigawatts of offshore wind power would reduce global warming pollution by the equivalent of taking nearly 18 million cars off the road. A bold commitment to clean energy such as offshore wind would also significantly reduce harmful air pollution and reduce the risk of oil spills and other fossil fuel-related disasters.

“We applaud this step forward and the Obama administration for their leadership in ensuring that responsibly-sited offshore wind becomes a reality in Virginia as soon as possible.”