VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — For nearly four years now, two wind turbines standing more than 600-foot-tall have generated electricity 27 miles off the Virginia Beach coast.
Aside from promotion mainly from their owners, utility provider Dominion Energy, many visiting the resort beaches would have little idea the turbines are there.
Due to the curvature of the earth, even on the clearest of days, the pair could be tough to see with the naked eye.
However once Dominion Energy begins the installation of 174 additional turbines, that may not be the case anymore.
It’s a fact that has some people believing they were misled.
Dominion Energy, which is the largest energy provider in Virginia, has been working on the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial project for the better part of a decade.
When it’s all said and done, the 176 turbines are forecasted to generate 2.6 gigawatts of energy, enough to power up to 660,000 homes.
Renewable wind energy will avoid the carbon emissions equivalent to the removal of 1 million cars off the road each year, according to the company.
Years before the Department of the Interior gave its formal blessing for the 113,000-acre project last fall, Dominion went on a full media blitz trying to win over public support.
In 2018, one of Virginia Beach’s chief rival mid-Atlantic resort towns, Ocean City, Maryland, formalized its opposition to a plan to bring offshore wind off its coast, citing view concerns.
At the same time, Dominion Energy was publicizing in both videos and at public meetings that turbines “will not be visible from the Virginia Beach shoreline.”
But those videos and statements were specifically mentioning the two pilot turbines. At the time, the videos said nothing about the majority of the turbines being 200 feet taller.
A visualization created to show what the view of the 176 wind turbines could look like from the Cape Henry Lighthouse (Courtesy: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) 
A visualization created to show what the view of the 176 wind turbines could look like from the Virginia Beach Boardwalk at 17th Street (Courtesy: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) 
A visualization created to show what the view of the 176 wind turbines could look like from the Virginia Beach Boardwalk at 17th Street (Courtesy: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) 
A visualization created to show what the view of the 176 wind turbines could look like from the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier (Courtesy: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management)
Earlier this year, Dominion Energy submitted dozens of photo simulations to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management as part of the final environmental impact review for the project.
The simulations were meant to show what the turbines would look like from the naked eye. Familiar locations used included Cape Henry Lighthouse, Virginia Beach Fishing Pier, and 17th Street Park.
From each, you could see the turbines along the horizon to varying degrees.
Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson and Councilman Worth Remick, who both represent the Oceanfront on Virginia Beach City Council, said that when those photos began to appear on social media, they started receiving calls.
“[Citizens] feel misled,” Wilson said “… They didn’t know you’d be able to see the turbines.”
Remick has heard similar comments.
“The citizens and us as leaders felt misled by Dominion … about the appearance of the wind turbines,” Remick said.
Remick added he doesn’t recall any briefing where the height differences between the pilot turbines and the rest were discussed.
Jeremy Slayton, a spokesperson for the CVOW project, said the height differences were discussed.
“Our outreach to Virginia Beach City Council and the Virginia Beach community has not changed with respect to the size and dimensions of the wind turbines we are using for Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind,” Slayton said. “We made it clear very early in the process that the turbines for the CVOW commercial project will be 800+ feet tall — more than 200 feet taller than the pilot turbines. For example, during a Virginia Beach City Council meeting in January 2021, our presentation (around the 9:30 mark) includes the height of the turbines as well as a comparison diagram with the pilot turbines.”
In the 2021 presentation, it’s explained the larger turbines were selected to harness more energy.
However, at no point in the presentation is the height difference equated to shoreline visibility. Slayton did not point to any specific presentation where visibility was addressed outside the pilot turbines.
“I mean, when we have been having conversations with people,” Slayton said, “we have been telling them that, ‘Yes, it is it is likely or possible that you could see the commercial turbines from shore, specifically at higher elevations at night due to the safety navigational features that we need to have on these turbines.'”
The lights will turn on when a plane is located within three miles of the turbine area and lower than 1,000 feet, according to Slayton. After that, the lights will shut off again.
John Zirkle, president of the Virginia Beach Hotel Association, said the nightime lights were the only concern to arise from hotel owners.
Overall, he isn’t bothered by the turbine view possibility.
“I don’t really look at it as a negative. I think overall it’s a positive for a variety of things,” Zirkle said, adding he believes it could boost tourism.
“People might want to take a trip out to see the turbines. Fishermen will love them. Plus they help our environment that people come here for,” Zirkle said.
Remick wanted to make clear, he doesn’t think Dominion intentionally misled anyone. Rather he just wants a commitment to transparency to continue.
In May, Dominion plans to begin installing the turbines.
