Dominion Energy Virginia, North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) and their state affiliate Virginia Building Trades have entered into an agreement to cooperate and collaborate on tripartite discussions with Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) suppliers to transition US union construction workers into the offshore wind industry.
The agreement will see the participation of a unionised workforce in the construction of the 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project which recently entered the federal permitting process.
Dominion Energy will work with NABTU and its affiliates on discussions with CVOW suppliers to promote project labor agreements to maximise union labor performance of the onshore electrical infrastructure work, turbine pre-assembly work, and offshore work.
For the offshore work in particular, the parties will work together to identify the skills training, and schedule necessary to accelerate an offshore wind US union construction workforce.
Under the agreement, the parties have committed to utilising local workers; the hiring, apprenticeship, and training of veterans; and the use of workers from historically economically disadvantaged communities.
“Clean energy jobs are a critical sector driving Virginia’s economy, particularly in Hampton Roads where CVOW is anchored. Union workers’ commitment to safety and excellence are important values which make them a crucial component to the offshore wind workforce” , said Robert M. Blue , Dominion Energy Chair, President and CEO.
A Mangum Economics analysis estimates CVOW could create about 1,100 direct and indirect jobs in Hampton Roads, and generate USD 82 million in pay and benefits, USD 210 million in economic benefits annually and approximately USD 11 million annually in local and state tax revenue, Dominion Energy says.
The large scale Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind commercial project (CVOW-C), which already has its 12 MW pilot predecessor up and running off Virginia, is the largest offshore wind project in the United States, with up to 180 turbines and a capacity of 2.6 GW.
If approved, once completed in 2026, the offshore wind farm will produce enough electricity to power 660,000 homes.