VIRGINIA BEACH — A controversial plan to bring wind power energy generated off the coast of North Carolina ashore at Sandbridge doesn’t have enough political support in Virginia Beach to move forward.
Mayor Bobby Dyer on Tuesday, Nov. 21, announced that he and City Manager Patrick Duhaney have told Avangrid Renewables their project lacks support in the wake of community concerns. Their conversation followed a closed meeting by the council earlier in November during which a number of concerns were discussed by the council.
Avangrid is dependent upon securing permission for a landfall here and transporting power from its Kitty Hawk Wind project to a municpal parking lot near the beach and the to the power grid. Company officials have said Virginia Beach is the best place for them land, but community members in Sandbridge have vocally opposed the project.
The City Council has taken no formal action, but, during an interview, Dyer said he and the manager were clear about where the city stood. He said they relayed that Avangrid was unlikely “to get to six votes.”
“We more or less basically indicated to them that we don’t tend to see that there’s a tremendous amount of support on that project moving forward,” Duhaney said during the meeting at City Hall.
The company wasn’t happy to hear the news, Duhaney said, and it indicated it planned to “go back to the drawing board” and see whether it could address some concerns.
Avangrid, in a statement emailed to The Independent News, said it remains committed to the project and working with the city and community.
“As stated during the City Council meeting this week,” the statement said, “no formal vote or decision has been taken by the council, and Avangrid is committed to our ongoing, collaborative relationship and addressing any and all concerns raised by members of the coouncil.” The company will continue “to engage with local leaders and stakeholders to bring this substantial, clean and cost-effective energy to the region.”
Opposition in Sandbridge has included a vote by the civic league this past year opposing the project as disruptive and the formation of a group, the Protect Sandbridge Beach Coalition, whose members have warned about damaging tourism, quality of life and the environment,
“It just seemed to have so many unanswered questions, not only about the environmental concerns but the potential operation,” said City Councilmember Barbara Henley, who represents District 2, which includes Sandbridge.
Henley has voiced community concerns including those of Sandbridge while also speaking about potential impacts upon other communities.
Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson, who represents District 5, said she has had concerns about the project and its potential impacts upon the Sandbridge community.
“It’s really a ‘sand bridge,’” she said, “water on both sides … I just think we need to say enough is enough for right now. We don’t need this other huge project coming in.”
“I’m sure that the community is going to be very glad to hear this,” Henley noted during the meeting, “and that they’ll have a happier Thanksgiving.”
“We’re certainly very pleased with the announcement,” Joe Bourne, a spokesperson for the coalition, said during an interview. “I think it’s a vindication that, as the City Council learned more about the project, support actually fell off. I think the project is certainly stopped for now.”
Bourne said the coalition will continue to pay attention to the Kitty Hawk Wind project.
“Folks need to be aware Avangrid has options for connection that are beyond Virginia Beach and Sandbridge, and we believe they should be pursuing those options,” he added.
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