Harnessing the wind off Virginia’s coast could provide enough energy to power 500,000 homes by the end of this decade. Plus the opportunities for job creation are huge. An aggressive build-out of offshore wind farms would create over 10,000 well-paying, local, career-length jobs right here in the Commonwealth. With plentiful offshore winds, a deep water port and a skilled and experienced labor force, Virginia could be the east coast capital for America’s new offshore wind industry.

VA4Wind is a coalition uniting public and private interests in pursuing a grassroots campaign to win over massive public support for developing Virginia’s offshore wind resources as quickly as possible. Member groups include the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter, Green Jobs Alliance and Virginia Interfaith Power & Light.

Come to a Town Hall meeting on Virginia Offshore Wind energy and learn more from key industry leaders about this exciting opportunity to help build Virginia’s clean energy future! Click here to RSVP TODAY!

Thurs., Oct. 11, 2012 – 7:00-8:30pm
Virginia Aquarium IMAX Theater, 717 General Booth Blvd., Virginia Beach [click here for map]

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
RSVP requested. Click here to RSVP Today!

Developing our offshore wind resources could create as many as 10,000 jobs here in Virginia, and produce enough clean energy to power over 500,000 Virginia homes. With our deep-water port in Hampton Roads, world-renowned ship building talent and a skilled work force, Virginia could be the Atlantic coast hub for this exciting new industry. But Congress must afford renewable energy a level playing field against dirty energy and signal the U.S.’s commitment to our clean energy future by extending the PTC.

Tell Congress to support extension of the Production Tax Credit (PTC) and ensure this job-creating industry continues to grow.

“This is an opportunity to develop thousands of good paying union jobs in Virginia, which would enable our children and our children’s children to raise a family and share in the American dream,” said Bill Harriday, international staff representative for United Steelworkers.

“Our workers stand uniquely-equipped and trained to tackle green energy projects like offshore wind power. We believe our workforce to be one-of-a-kind when it comes to constructing advanced-tech wind turbines,” said Josh Collins, Virginia political and policy director for the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA). “We welcome this opportunity to join forces with our allies in VA 4 Wind Coalition to push for long-term sustainable energy solutions that will be a boon to thousands of unemployed workers.”

“Steel working, shipbuilding, construction, forging, manufacturing, you name it. For decades, most of those jobs critical to the wind industry have been union jobs”, said Eileen Levandoski, Virginia Conservation Program Manager with the Sierra Club. “Thus Virginia’s unionized labor force, regardless of its ‘right to work” policies, can and will be large and powerful advocates for offshore wind.”

According to the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium (VCERC), a 3,000-megawatt Virginia coastal wind energy project built out over 20 years would create 10,000 jobs for Virginians. Specifically, it could create more than 6,000 construction jobs and 5,000 ongoing operation and maintenance jobs.

Leaders from Virginia’s union, industry, and environmental communities agree that Dominion and Governor McDonnell should coordinate efforts to develop offshore wind energy. Because Dominion is the commonwealth’s largest power provider, owns much of its transmission capacity, and has a great deal of political clout, Virginia’s offshore wind industry could flourish with the company on board. Governor McDonnell should take a leadership role in this process by making Virginia “the Clean Energy Capital of the East Coast.”

“This is all about new manufacturing, fabrication, and construction jobs right here in Virginia. If the McDonnell Administration fails to act and Dominion does not move forward with offshore wind development, the commonwealth could lose thousands of jobs to other states in the region,” said Randy Flood, executive director of Green Jobs Alliance.

In addition to thousands of new jobs, offshore wind energy offers countless benefits for Virginians, cleaner air and water, stable electricity prices, increased energy security, and reduced global warming emissions.

Beth Kemler, Virginia state director for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, said: “Especially in the wake of a global warming-fueled hurricane and massive flooding, it’s more important than ever than we take aggressive steps toward the development of clean energy sources like offshore wind.”

“Virginia’s environmental groups applaud Dominion’s initiative to study development of an offshore wind transmission line emanating from Virginia Beach into the Atlantic. This study coupled with last year’s study supporting large-scale offshore wind energy grid integration capacities reinforces Dominion’s position as one of the nation’s leading electric utilities.

Today’s announcement also demonstrates Dominion’s full capability to champion Virginia’s offshore wind development. Harnessing the wind off Virginia’s coast could provide enough energy to power 700,000 homes by the end of this decade. It also spawns the creation of over 10,000 jobs with the wind industry’s complete build out. The best way to make this happen is for Virginia’s top utility to lead the way and we urge their full support of Virginia’s offshore wind development.

Dominion can’t develop Virginia’s offshore wind industry single-handedly. Governor McDonnell must aspire to make Virginia “the Clean Energy Capital of the East Coast.” This cannot be accomplished given Virginia’s policy deficiencies and lack of incentives that is currently jeopardizing Virginia’s offshore wind energy development. Up and down the east coast, governors of other states are aggressively making investments into offshore wind and will soon be reaping the jobs that come with it.

We encourage Dominion and Governor McDonnell to work together to harness this vast renewable resource for the people of Virginia.”