Wittman has screwed VA01 on energy, jobs, and the environment
Pause on Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project steals jobs and prosperity from VA01, VA02, VA03, and beyond
Thanks to Trump - and votes from Rob Wittman and Kiggans in coastal Virginia - the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) Project is now cancelled. This is a DISASTER for our state, and for VA01, VA02, and VA03 especially. Here's why.
CVOW is already 60% complete
$6bn has already been invested - Dominion will ask Virginians to repay it
In #VA01, York and Poquoson will suffer major economic impacts
CVOW supported 2,000 jobs (mostly in Hampton Roads), and $2bn in economic activity
When operational, it would have had 1,100 jobs and $210m per year economic output
Portsmouth Marine Terminal was developed for this project - now it's useless
Hampton Roads' future as mid-Atlantic offshore wind hub is destroyed; 5,000 direct/indirect jobs lost
$5m state and $6m Hampton Roads tax revenue is lost, impacting education, roads, and services all across Virginia
Power for 660,000 homes lost; all Virginians can expect prices to go up as a result
No escaping volatility of fossil fuel pricing now; energy will cost $3bn more over 10 years
Environmental impacts enormous: 4.9m tonnes of annual CO2 output; no chance of achieving 100% carbon-free energy by 2050
Trump/Wittman claim "national security concerns" caused this cancellation. This is pure 🐂💩. DOD was consulted every step of the way, by their own admission. The fact is that Trump's illegal Executive Order on wind energy was shut down so they're just making up stuff now.
The fossil fuel lobby will be happy. But literally everyone else in Virginia (and New England and New York, which also have offshore wind projects) are the victims here. At a time when energy prices are spiking, Trump/Wittman has guaranteed they'll get worse and worse. We had a shot at leading the world. Trump/Wittman/Kiggans have screwed us once again.