While Virginia’s massive offshore wind project faces the same Trump administration freeze as neighboring states, it appears to be sitting out the regional fight to save the East Coast’s renewable energy future.
The Trump administration hit pause on five major offshore wind projects last month, citing Pentagon concerns about radar interference. Virginia’s response? Crickets.
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York are all scrambling to protect their investments. Virginia’s $10.9 billion Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project? Same boat, different strategy. Or maybe no strategy at all.
Dominion Energy’s ambitious project would power 660,000 homes with 176 turbines. It’s already 70% complete. That’s billions of dollars and hundreds of jobs hanging in the balance.
The 90-day suspension threatens to derail construction timelines that took years to establish. The suspension came right after a federal judge blocked Trump’s previous attempt to kill these projects.
Funny how that works. The administration claims those massive spinning blades create radar clutter that could compromise national security. Convenient timing for an administration that’s never hidden its disdain for “windmills.”
Virginia Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger has highlighted the project’s importance for lowering energy costs. The project is expected to deliver significant fuel savings of $3 billion to customers within just the first decade of operation. Dominion warns the pause threatens grid reliability for both military and civilian needs.
Still, Virginia hasn’t joined the multi-state pushback effort. The economic stakes couldn’t be higher.
Beyond the immediate construction jobs, the project promises $3 billion in fuel savings over its first decade. Not to mention tax revenues and long-term economic benefits.
This situation mirrors the political whiplash seen during the Trump era, when the Department of Energy funded renewable projects while the administration dismantled climate regulations.
Meanwhile, the clock ticks on the 90-day assessment period. Projects like Vineyard Wind 1 and Revolution Wind face the same uncertainty.
The difference? Their states are fighting back together. Virginia’s absence from the coordinated response raises questions.
Is it a strategic decision or a missed opportunity? Whatever the reason, as other states band together, Virginia stands alone—watching its renewable energy future potentially blow away in the political winds.
Outgoing Governor Glenn Youngkin supports the CVOW project, showing this isn’t a partisan issue in Virginia, but rather one of economic and energy security.
References
- https://virginiabusiness.com/report-dominion-wind-farm-among-5-leases-paused-by-trump/
- https://coastalvawind.com
- https://www.wbur.org/news/2025/12/22/offshore-wind-halted-revolution-sunrise-empire-costal-virginia
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXYREFabgvs
- https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/22/interior-pauses-construction-of-all-offshore-wind-projects-citing-national-security-concerns-00702593
- https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/CVOW-C
