The House and Senate have voted final unanimous passage of legislation that would promote the offshore wind industry in Virginia.

SB 577 sponsored by Senators McEachin and Wagner, and HB 389 sponsored by Delegate Janis, create the Virginia Offshore Wind Development Authority, an entity of the state that would help promote the development of the offshore wind industry in Virginia. Areas the Authority would cover include the ability to create public/private partnerships for data collection and infrastructure upgrades, the ability to apply for federal loan guarantees, and take any actions at the state level to facilitate the growth of this industry.