ODU Faculty and Students Tour Coastal Virginia’s Offshore Wind Project

By Joy Vann  

 On a recent hazy and warm Wednesday morning, a disparate group of 20 professors and researchers including a maritime historian and mechanical and aerospace engineers, students and others from Old Dominion 91����Ƶ departed from Virginia Beach’s Rudee Inlet on the Rudee Angler charter boat for a 90-minute cruise 20 miles off the coast.   

 No fishing lines were dropped, however. It was an excursion to tour Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, which when completed in 2028, will be the largest of its kind in the country and will provide zero-carbon energy to more than 600,000 customers.   

 The trip came about after ODU’s Maritime and Offshore Wind Conference in March. Dominion Energy was one of the conference partners, and after learning that faculty and staff were interested in learning more about the project, the company generously offered to host the trip said Elspeth McMahon, ODU’s associate vice president for Maritime Initiatives, who was glad to have the opportunity to invite people from across the 91����Ƶ to learn more about the project and to enjoy lunch together. She said it offered a multidimensional experience for students and professors to contemplate renewable energy and learn about the business, research and workforce development opportunities.   

 “The trip offered a comprehensive education about renewable energy technology and showed the practical applications of studies in engineering, environmental science and maritime operations,” McMahon said. “It also was a great day to enjoy time on the water and to meet students and professors in related fields.”  

 Attendees included students from ODU’s Student Propeller Club; leaders of the Maritime Engineering and Environmental Studies Academy (MEESA), a lab school partnered between ODU and Newport News Public Schools that will open in the fall; and professors currently conducting research in the offshore wind field, mechanical and aerospace engineering, autonomous and connected systems, maritime, supply chain and environmental programs, cybersecurity, and maritime history.   

 Finley Stoops, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in maritime and supply chain management, joined other members of the Student Propeller Club on the trip.   

 She recently began an internship in supply chain and data analytics at Dollar Tree distributors. She was eager to check out the giant turbines up close.  

 “I am grateful to have had the opportunity to explore the Dominion Energy Wind Project and to see how local initiatives are creating a cleaner, more sustainable future — thank you to Dominion Energy and Old Dominion 91����Ƶ for investing in student experiences like this," she said. “We also had the opportunity to see some impressive vessels along the way, which made the experience even more exciting.”  

 Sara Russell Riggs, a senior lecturer and expert in port management and logistics, said the Dominion Turbine tour was a fantastic opportunity to see the progress of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project.   

 “I wish all Hampton Roads residents could take part in the experience, learn more about the turbines and see firsthand how Virginia is focused on protecting our environment and reducing carbon dioxide emissions,” she said. “After watching the machinery being staged and loaded at PMT (Portsmouth Marine Terminal) over the past several months, it's amazing to see it operational and the fully constructed turbines.”