U.S. Coast Guard Conducts Simulated Rescue on Offshore Wind Turbine

Updated: November 18, 2020 (Originally published October 22, 2020)

It’s an inevitable fact that the United States is set for a major increase in the number of wind turbines off its coast in the coming decade. This means more people, from ship crews to turbine technicians, working at sea and on top the massive structures.

In order to prepare for this, the U.S. Coast Guard recently conducted a simulated rescue on top of a 400-foot-tall wind turbine located approximately 28 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach, Virgina.

The simulated rescue involved a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J. and a MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., as well as several surface assets from the Virginia.

The exercise took place at Dominion Energy’s two turbine Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) pilot project. The wind farm, currently in its testing phase, is anticipated to be the first fully-permitted, operational wind project in U.S. federal waters, delivering 12-megawatt’s of clean energy to customers in Virginia.

The pilot project could pave the way for Dominion’s proposed 2,600-megawatt commercial project which is is on track to commence construction in 2024. The project is currently the largest announced offshore wind project in North America and will provide enough renewable electricity to power up to 660,000 homes.

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