Legislative Agenda

VOW will work to bring about legislative change through the General Assembly, to create incentives, structures and opportunities for the development of the offshore wind industry. The coalition will develop a substantive legislative package with the goal of legislatively creating incentives and structures to encourage development of offshore wind and attracting the global offshore wind industry to set up a manufacturing hub in the Hampton Roads region. VOW will seek patrons for its legislation and lobby those efforts in the 2010 session of the General Assembly.

The legislative agenda will include, but is not limited to:

• Incentives to attract investment in manufacturing of offshore wind energy equipment:

» Grants and Investment tax credits for re-tooling of fabrication facilities.

» Sales tax exemption for offshore wind energy equipment.

» Subsidies for green jobs training programs.

» Subsidies for wind development.

• Establishment of Virginia Offshore Wind Energy Authority (“VOWEA”) who will manage and administer the following programs:

» Public-Private partnerships for data collection and environmental studies for offshore wind energy project developments.

» VOWEA will evaluate and implement (in cooperation with Virginia utilities) the improvement of the transmission system in the Hampton Roads region in order to create an interconnection hub that will accommodate 3500 MW of offshore wind energy projects. VOWEA will manage the interconnection hub.

» VOWEA’s program will be budget-neutral by charging offshore wind projects a nominal fee per produced MWH for utilizing the interconnection hub. Based upon this revenue and federal loan guarantees VOWEA will raise long term debt for above-mentioned programs.

• Stimulus to purchase electricity from offshore renewable energy credits through:

» The establishment of a mandatory set-aside (20%) for offshore wind energy under the Virginia RPS (Ocean Renewable Energy Credits (“OREC”).

» One OREC will equal three RECs from land-based generation. In addition, in order for an OREC to qualify under the Virginia RPS, it needs to have a direct economic impact on the Hampton Roads region.

Engaging the Industry

VOW will also participate in active outreach to the global offshore wind energy industry, to promote Hampton Roads as the hub for the offshore wind industry on the East Coast. VOW will represent the Virginia offshore wind industry to all audiences and encourage broad participation and investment from a variety of industries.

Grassroots Outreach

The VOW Coalition will be a source for information on the offshore wind industry in Virginia. It will have an outreach element through its website, e-newsletters, events and speaking opportunities. VOW Coalition members will be encouraged to call, visit, write or otherwise contact their General Assembly Delegates and Senators as well as their federal Congressional representatives to voice their support for offshore wind and the creation of a new manufacturing industry in Virginia.