VIRGINIA BEACH — The City Council will host a meeting this week about a proposal to bring wind energy ashore through cables leading to a public parking lot in Sandbridge, which could lead to off-season construction and, eventually, additional work to carry power inland and connect with the grid.
A proposal by Avangrid Renewables, which will be present during the meeting to discuss plans and answer questions, faces opposition in Sandbridge. City Councilmember Barbara Henley, who represents the area, has expressed reservations about the proposal and urged outreach to the community — and participation by citizens.
The briefing and comment session is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Thursday, May 4, in the council chamber at City Hall. Representatives from Avangrid will discuss the project and answer questions.
Avangrid’s Kitty Hawk wind project is unrelated to the wind farm being developed off the city’s coast by Dominion Energy.
The Sandbridge Beach Civic League last year voted to oppose the Avangrid proposal, citing concerns for the community and visitors and potential effects on the residential resort. Sandbridge is a destination for vacation rentals and the site of a major beach replenishment program largely funded by the property owners within that community.
“Project implementation will be profoundly disruptive to businesses, tourism, local recreation and quality of life for the residents, visitors and employees,” read part of a motion the civic league adopted in June.
“They just haven’t given us enough information,” said Joan Davis, past president of the civic league in the community, during an interview this past week.
Community members have organized to fight the landfall through a group called the Protect Sandbridge Beach Coalition, whose members have warned the project could hurt tourism, quality of life and the environment, as well as concerns about public health and the stability of the beach itself.
Gabriele Mack, a member of the group who lives near the landfall site, said the project would be disruptive and mar her retirement years in Sandbridge. “I literally live across the street from ground zero,” Mack said.
There are concerns about the lines at the beach as well as the path of carrying power from Sandbridge inland through nearby communities, said Joe Bourne, a Sandbridge resident who is among those who have been digging into details available about the project.
On Wednesday, April 26, he discussed a taxation district used to fund beach replenishment, a program that has been successful and – after federal support for replenishment effort dropped off – self-sustaining.
“We feel that we’ve had a success story here,” Bourne said. “We have tourism coming through, rental revenues coming through. We’re not the promise of a better day to the city. We are the better day. We’re an asset to the city, and we did that with our own money and our own investment.”
Avangrid wants to come to Sandbridge because of its beach resiliency and stable shoreline, he said, rather than use closer options in North Carolina.
“Now we’ve got an outside agency coming in and saying [they] want to use that investment to their benefit,” Bourne said.
And Bourne, among others, said there has not been enough engagement.
Avangrid aims to address concerns and clear up misconceptions about the project, said Megan Higgins, the company’s senior director of new project development.
Higgins is the project director for Kitty Hawk Wind and is scheduled to be among the speakers during the May 4 meeting in Virginia Beach.
During an interview on Thursday, April 27, Higgins said Avangrid is a leading developer in renewable energy that is being transparent about the project that involves Sandbridge.
“Most importantly, [we want] to clarify misconceptions about the onshore and the offshore components of the project,” Higgins said. “What we’re finding on social media and other platforms is, frankly, misinformation.”
For example, Higgins said they are aware some have expressed concern that the cable will emit electromagnetic fields, but she said the cables will be underground and electromagnetic energy would be less than that given off by household items.
Higgins said work on the project will be done on the off season.
“Businesses will still be open, and access to the beach will not be effected,” Higgins said.
Additionally, the project will be careful not to conflict with offshore areas used for the sand in replenishments for Sandbridge beach, which is among the concerns that has been raised by opponents.
“We’re hoping for constructive input, and if there are questions and legitimate concerns, we are all ears,” Higgins said. “We certainly want this to be a project that people feel good about.”
Information will be available for the public to review prior to the briefing, and Avangrid representatives will be available to speak with the public starting at 5:30 p.m., according to a statement released by the city.
Avangrid, for its Kitty Hawk wind project, wants the city to approve an easement for land cables, which would run from the ocean beneath the beach, at a municipal lot near Sandbridge Market. Earlier this year, a presentation about the project, as well as community concerns, led to a request for the public comment session.
Deputy City Manager Taylor Adams briefed the City Council about the project and the landfall easement on Tuesday, Feb. 14.
The Kitty Hawk wind project is only one of Avangrid’s wind or solar projects in the U.S., where they are the third-largest provider of wind energy, according to the company.
It would operate a wind farm of up to 69 wind turbines 27 miles east of Corolla, North Carolina. The lease area for the wind farm itself is about 36 miles southeast of the Virginia Beach community where Avangrid wants to bring its cables ashore.
According to the presentation by Adams, the grid in North Carolina is not “mature enough” to handle the power the project would produce.
“And so it was decided they would explore options north,” Adams said. “Virginia Beach is the first point of relief.”
Previously, the City Council approved a franchise related to the project, but this does not mean the element of Avangrid’s proposal which is at issue – namely, the easement needed to do this – is approved.
There would be up to six cable landfill locations when it is fully built out at the municipal lot next to Sandbridge Market with no permanent aboveground infrastructure.
Construction would be timed to avoid the main tourist season, according to the presentation and Avangrid. Cables would be placed well under the beach from the waters to the lot, and access at the lot site following the completion of work would consist of a manhole cover, according to the presentation to the council.
“We’re coming up under the beach and coming straight up to the parking lot,” Adams said.
Henley, who represents District 2, noted that she understood the council had not had discretion about granting the franchise.
City Attorney Mark Stiles explained that Avangrid had an entitlement to the franchise. Henley asked whether Avangrid was entitled to their requested easement, meaning permission to land at Sandbridge.
“It’s in the council’s discretion as to whether or not to grant the easement,” Stiles said.
“So what they’re asking now is the easement to come ashore at this location, which is owned by the city,” Henley said, adding that there would need to be extensive public hearings before any decision is made.
City Manager Patrick Duhaney said the city staff, at this point, only sought direction from the council about whether to gather public comment or hold a hearing.
If this is approved, Henley said, Avangrid would also need to carry their power from Sandbridge to the grid.
“They’re then going to be asking for approval to use the right of way along the roads,” Henley said.
Adams said the franchise agreement would allow use of the right of way.
Henley said she has told Avangrid in the past to coordinate with all of the communities that may be affected by the project.
“I know Sandbridge has been very much involved,” Henley said. “That’s where all the attention has been. But all those other neighborhoods like Lago Mar, Red Mill and Ocean Lakes, that are going to be impacted really need to be aware of all of this, as well.”
“We want the public to come and express yourself to everybody,” Mayor Bobby Dyer said during the February meeting.
Reach the office of Virginia Beach City Clerk Amanda Barnes at (757) 385-4303 or by email via abarnes@vbgov.com to sign up to speak during the May 4 meeting or for information about participating remotely.
Information about the project from Avangrid is online at kittyhawkoffshore.com, and records about approvals processes is online by searching the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management website via boem.gov. The Protect Sandbridge Beach Coalition is online via protectsandbridgebeach.org.
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NO, NO and NO!! I live on the other side of the North Bay. Across from Sandbridge. Wind farms kill sea life, Kill birds, and the maintanance is astronomical. They are very, very, loud… It will be more than just a burden on us all in VABCH. This industry of Wind Farms and Solar are not sustainable and way too expensive. These are made in Spain. Will not help our community in the least.