The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has announced that it has executed a wind energy research lease with the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME).
This is BOEM’s first executed wind energy research lease. Under this lease, DMME proposes to design, develop and demonstrate a grid-connected, 12MW offshore wind test facility on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) off the coast of Virginia – adjacent to the Virginia Wind Energy Area (WEA). The data obtained and lessons learned from this project will be made publicly available and inform the future production of renewable energy within the WEA.