The US wind sector has faced some troubling times as of late, with US President Donald Trump rolling back permits and forcing wind operators to cancel planned projects. Despite that, Virginia’s 2.6 GW offshore wind project remains on track for a late-2026 completion date. The project is being developed by Dominion Energy and has been subject to some problems due to rising costs, but it remains on schedule. Virginia is set to become the home of the US wind sector once the project has been completed and is feeding clean, renewable energy to the millions of Virginia households.
Dominion has stated that the project will be the largest by capacity in the United States
The planned 2.6 GW offshore wind project will easily be the largest by capacity in the United States, once it has been completed. Dominion Energy is an exceedingly large energy company that provides electricity to over 3.6 million customers in Virginia and the Carolinas. Additionally, the firm also provides regulated natural gas services to about 500,000 customers in South Carolina.
Dominion’s quarterly performance for Q3 has been a sight for sore eyes in the American energy sector, boasting operating earnings of $921 million, which is significantly higher than the same period last year. In Q3, Dominion’s regulated electric sales rose 3.3% year over year, marking an important milestone in the company’s future in the United States.
The astonishing offshore wind project is set for a 2026 completion date, says Dominion Energy
According to the firm’s latest estimates, US energy customers will begin receiving their first power from the offshore wind farm in Virginia in early 2026, with a full completion date set for later in the same year. The project is a joint venture between Dominion and Stonepeak, an infrastructure investment firm that took a stake in the project in 2024.
Donald Trump’s tariffs have started to affect energy companies’ operational costs
When US President Donald Trump announced his wave of incomprehensible tariffs on a litany of nations across the world, many economists and experts lamented the potential impact on the US economy. Those tariffs have affected the planned Virginia wind project, as Dominion has stated that the tariffs are expected to increase the offshore wind project costs $690 million through 2026.
Dominion now expects the levelized cost of electricity generated by the plant to increase substantially, but that has not stopped the progress being made. Dominion’s CEO stated that he expects “bipartisan support at all levels of government”, especially after Virginia’s recent statewide elections.
With the US facing an uncertain future in the energy industry, the Virginia offshore wind project can strengthen the US’s energy security. As Europe has seen significant increases in new turbine orders in 2025, the US wind sector is booming, well, in Virginia at least.
“It’s the fastest way to get 2.6 GW on the grid that’s going to serve AI and technology companies, defense and security installations. It’s critical to important infrastructure upgrades at the Oceana Naval Air Station. And if you stop it now, it causes energy inflation.” – Dominion Energy’s CEO Robert Blue
Wind power projects come with their own set of challenges for operators to consider
Wind power does have its drawbacks, although we struggle to see them. In the US, wind Power has to contend with a President who has, on many occasions, expressed his disdain for the sector. In other parts of the world, wind power faces substantial backlash from environmentalists and activists, such as in Australia, which has seen Synergy Energy hoping to get approval for a controversial wind project. Regardless of the standing of the wind power sector in the government’s eyes, Virginia is on track to build the largest wind power farm by capacity.
