Dominion awarded offshore wind grant

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- The U.S. Department of Energy has announced awards to speed the development of offshore wind projects, and Dominion Virginia Power is among the recipients.

The grants announced Wednesday provide up to $4 million for each recipient to complete engineering, design and other costs. The Dominion award is for two 6-megawatt turbines off Virginia Beach.

The turbines will use what is called "twisted jacket" foundations, which use less steel but maintain their strength.

Oceana's Nancy Sopko says the awards provide much-needed support to a growing and promising industry. The ocean advocate said offshore winds provide clean, renewable energy while creating thousands of jobs.

The federal government plans to sell leases for wind farms off the coast of Virginia next year.

U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) issued the following statement on the U.S. Department of Energy’s announcement.

“This is a positive step forward for the Commonwealth,” Sen. Warner said. “Developing our offshore energy resources will help create domestic manufacturing jobs and strengthen Virginia’s economy. It also advances efforts to better harness renewable energy sources while reducing U.S. reliance on imported oil. I have been an advocate for an ‘all-of-the-above’ approach for some time now, and I think there’s a lot of potential in developing our offshore energy opportunities off the Virginia coast.”

For more information on the Dominion Virginia Power project, click here .