Statement of Governor Bob McDonnell on Retirement of United States Representative Frank Wolf

English: Official Congressional portrait of Congressman Frank Wolf. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

LYNCHBURG - Governor Bob McDonnell issued the following statement this afternoon following the news that United States Representative Frank Wolf (R-Va) will not seek re-election in 2014.

“Frank Wolf is a Virginia institution. As the longest serving member of our congressional delegation, he possesses a knowledge of the Commonwealth that few can match. As a person, he possesses the kind-of compassion, empathy and understanding that we all only hope to emulate. There is a reason Frank has served so long, and why his retirement is being met with so many expressions of admiration and respect: he has earned it. Frank is a Republican, and he believes deeply in his principles. But he has always been a Virginian first. He has sought out common ground, he has worked across the aisle, he has represented the people of this Commonwealth with distinction and with grace. His public service has never stopped, however, at the Potomac River, or the Atlantic Ocean. Frank is perhaps best known for his human rights work, whether it be standing for peace in the Sudan, or fighting for justice for the victims of human trafficking.

“Finally, I have to say on a personal level, how much I have benefited from the counsel and insights of Frank Wolf. He has never hesitated to help me, first as attorney general and now as governor, better understand the issues facing the 10th District, or any part of Virginia. He has been a constant source of information and ideas. We need a lot more Frank Wolf’s serving in Congress. Today, on behalf of a grateful Commonwealth, I thank Frank for his tireless service to our state and nation. Frank Wolf has a servant’s heart.”

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Statement of Governor Bob McDonnell on New Virginia Offshore Wind Research Lease

English: Governor of Virginia at CPAC in . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Determination Clears Way to Offer “First of its Kind” Lease to Virginia

Lease Proposes to Demonstrate Two 6 Megawatt Wind Turbine Generators in the Atlantic Ocean 24 miles off Hampton Roads; Dominion Virginia Power will Lead Project

RICHMOND - Governor Bob McDonnell issued the following statement following news that the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has made a Determination of No Competitive Interest (DNCI) that will allow the federal bureau to offer Virginia a first of its kind offshore wind research lease. The lease area located about 24 nautical miles off of the Hampton Roads coastline on the Outer Continental Shelf will host a demonstration of two utility-scale wind turbine generators. This news follows Virginia’s selection as the location of only the second commercial offshore wind lease auction and sale. In September, Dominion Virginia Power successfully bid for that lease:http://www.governor.virginia.gov/news/viewRelease.cfm?id=1971.

Speaking about today’s new offshore wind research lease, Governor McDonnell remarked, “I applaud the Department of the Interior and BOEM Director Tommy P. Beaudreau and his team at BOEM for taking another important step to advance this vital research and demonstration initiative. Today’s development follows the BOEM September lease auction for commercial scale wind energy development in the much larger wind energy area in federal waters adjacent to the research lease and keeps Virginia at the forefront of an all-of-the-above energy development strategy. Dominion Virginia Power, the state’s largest utility, won the commercial lease auction and also leads the turbine demonstration project, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

“Virginia’s port and maritime assets and the gradual slope of the Outer Continental Shelf and consistent offshore wind speeds make this a natural geographic location to demonstrate the feasibility and eventually to develop offshore wind resources at a commercial scale. We have a robust commercial ship building industry and other assets that make Hampton Roads and the Commonwealth an attractive candidate to become the center of construction and logistical support to develop the Mid-Atlantic’s coastal energy resources.

“Virginia did not get to this position of leadership  and great potential by accident. I would also like to acknowledge years of ground laying and ongoing work by many stakeholders.  BOEM, the Virginia Offshore Wind Development Authority, the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium, Dominion Virginia Power, the maritime industry, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Defense, Virginia’s Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy and many others have worked together to define the appropriate locations for research and commercial scale offshore wind development.  Key to the identification of these locations has been the protection of sensitive ecological habitat and avoiding or minimizing conflicts with existing uses of the ocean space offshore Virginia, such as military training areas, marine vessel traffic, a dredge disposal site, and areas of concern specified by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center's Wallops Flight Facility.

“The experience gained under the research lease will help to lower costs and reduce any possible risks from future large scale commercial development. Leveraging other funds, lowering costs and risks and accelerating the sensible and responsible development of our offshore wind energy resource have been the motivations behind all investments of state funds for offshore wind during our administration, including a recently concluded regional ocean geological survey and additional studies and data collection projects now being planned to invest $1 million of FY2014 state funds.” 

The Department of the Interior release is available here:http://www.boem.gov/Press12062013/.

More about the Virginia Offshore Wind Technology Advancement Project (VOWTAP)

Dominion Virginia Power and its team is one of seven projects nationally selected by the U.S. Department of Energy in 2012 to receive $4 million each in federal matching funds to undertake initial engineering, design, and permitting for an offshore wind technology demonstration facility. VOWTAP proposes designing, developing, and demonstrating a grid-connected, 12-megawatt offshore wind facility consisting of two 6-megawatt Alstom Haliade turbines mounted on innovative foundations. The project will advance offshore wind technology and gain valuable experience in offshore wind installation and operations, with the goal to reduce the cost and risk of future commercial scale offshore wind projects. In May 2014, DOE will select three projects to receive additional federal funding up to about $47 million in total and proceed with completion of the Front End Engineering and Design. Ultimately, DOE has a target for these projects to be operational by the end of 2017.

The VOWTAP team includes:

·         Dominion Virginia Power – Project lead, owner and operator

·         U.S. Department of Energy – Funding partner

·         Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy – Funding partner and offshore research lease holder

·         National Renewable Energy Laboratory – Federally Funded Research and Development Center

·         Virginia Tech  - Representing the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium

·         Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries

·         Alstom –  Wind turbine manufacturer

·          KBR – Owner’s engineer

·         Tetra Tech – Environmental consultant

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Governor McDonnell Applauds Latest Study on Virginia Offshore Energy Potential

English: The state seal of Virginia.  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Report: Oil and Gas Production Could Create 25,000 New Jobs; Generate $1.9 Billion in State Revenue

RICHMOND - A new study released today finds that offshore production of oil and natural gas could mean 25,000 new jobs in the Commonwealth and $1.9 billion in new revenue for Virginia’s state government. The study, “The Economic Benefits of Increasing U.S. Access to Offshore Oil and Natural Gas Resources in the Atlantic” was jointly produced by The American Petroleum Institute (API) and the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA). The report further indicates that Virginia will benefit significantly from the development of the outer continental shelf (OCS) with as much as $400 million a year in marine activity at the Port alone by 2035, and over $14 billion in industrial spending in the state from 2017 to 2035. Annual contributions to Virginia’s economy could reach $2.2 billion by 2035.

Speaking about the report, Governor McDonnell remarked, “Throughout our Administration we have been strong supporters of a truly ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy incorporating all of our domestic resources, from wind to solar to coal to nuclear to oil to natural gas. We need to develop the energy resources we possess here at home; that is how we will create new jobs, grow our economy and continue to help our nation move towards greater energy independence. Today’s study is just further proof of what such a comprehensive approach to our energy issues could produce: thousands of new jobs, billions in new revenue, a stronger economy. It is time that we moved forward to responsibly develop Virginia’s offshore energy resources: wind, oil, and natural gas.”

There is strong bipartisan support for offshore development in Virginia.  The Federal government awarded Virginia with an OCS oil and gas lease sale in March of 2010 but later cancelled the sale and refused to include Virginia in the current 5-year OCS plan.  The next plan is scheduled for 2017-2022.

“Virginia strongly objected to the cancellation of our lease sale and, later, the Interior Department’s refusal to include us in the current plan,” said Doug Domenech, Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources.  “We are encouraging Interior to begin the planning process for the next 5-year plan immediately and to include a sale off Virginia in the next plan.”

Information on the full study can be found here:www.noia.org/TapOffshoreEnergy.

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Governor Bob McDonnell Announces “This Commonwealth of Opportunity” Statewide Tour

English: Governor of Virginia at CPAC in . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Will Travel Virginia from Bristol to Machipongo to Fairfax

***Tour Highlights Virginia’s Successes During McDonnell Administration***

RICHMOND- Governor Bob McDonnell will embark this Friday on a week-long “This Commonwealth of Opportunity” tour of Virginia. The tour, which begins in Salem and concludes in Leesburg, will highlight Virginia’s successes over the past three and a half years including a falling unemployment rate, rebounding shellfish industry, transportation breakthroughs, open space conservation achievements, increased agricultural exports, and educational innovations to benefit Virginia’s students, teachers and parents. The tour will take the governor, and members of the cabinet, from Virginia’s highest bridge in Buchanan County in the mountains of Southwest Virginia to a vineyard located between the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean on the Eastern Shore. Along the way the tour will be stopping everywhere from Civil War battlefields to growing research universities to 21st century technology companies.

            Speaking about the upcoming tour, Governor McDonnell noted, “This is a Commonwealth of Opportunity. Over the past three and a half years, through bipartisan cooperation, Virginia has taken tremendous steps forward. Our unemployment rate has fallen from 7.3% to 5.5% and is the lowest in the Southeast, and far below the national average. Since the beginning of our administration, Virginia has added 172,600 net new jobs. Agricultural exports have reached record highs. At the same time we’ve posted four straight revenue surpluses, more than doubled the state’s Rainy Day Fund, and dramatically reduced the future unfunded liabilities in our pension system. State workers have received their first pay raise in 6 years. We broke a nearly three-decade long standstill on transportation funding to put in place a bold new plan that will pump nearly $6 billion in new revenue into roads and rail around the state over the next five years. We’ve made college more affordable and accessible for Virginia students, and added thousands of new slots for in-state students at our colleges and universities. And our K-12 system is stronger than ever with the implementation of new reforms and policies that will ensure all students get the world-class educations they deserve. In short, the last three and a half years have witnessed significant progress being made in addressing the challenges facing our citizens in their daily lives. Virginia has more jobs; Virginians have more opportunities. I look forward to traveling the state in the days ahead to see some of these successes first-hand, and to learn more about what we can continue to do in Richmond to improve the lives of all Virginians.” 

            A full tour schedule is listed below.

Governor Bob McDonnell’s “This Commonwealth of Opportunity” Statewide Tour

August 9^th – August 15^th

Friday, August 9, 2013

Salem - 1:00 PM

Governor McDonnell Announces Strategic Compensation Grant Recipients

Andrew Lewis Middle School Library

616 South College Avenue

Salem

Roanoke – 2:45 PM

Governor McDonnell Joins Transit Leaders for Announcement about Amtrak Service to Roanoke

Pedestrian Walkway between the Roanoke Convention Center and Hotel Roanoke

710 Williamson Road

Roanoke

Bristol – 5:00 PM

Governor McDonnell Visits the Birthplace of Country Music Museum

520 Cumberland St‎

Bristol

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Bristol – 11:00 AM

Governor McDonnell Tours Wire Tough

14570 Industrial Park Road, Suite C

Bristol

Breaks – 2:30 PM

Governor McDonnell Takes Part in U.S. Route 460 Connector Phase I Project Briefing

Phase I Project Site (off Route 80 adjacent to Breaks Interstate Park)

627 Commission Circle

Breaks

Galax – 5:45 PM

Governor McDonnell attends Old Fiddler's Convention “Poor Man's Supper”

Felt's Park

601 S. Main Street

Galax

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Blackstone –2:30 PM

Governor McDonnell Visits Virginia National Guard Units at Fort Pickett and Tours Facilities

Fort Pickett

Blackstone

Monday, August 12, 2013

Lynchburg –10:00 AM

Governor McDonnell Participates in Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Governor’s STEM Academy

Central Virginia Community College—AREVA Technology Center

3506 Wards Road

Lynchburg

Release: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/news/viewRelease.cfm?id=1472

Lynchburg – 11:30 AM

Governor McDonnell Takes Part in Odd Fellows Road Interchange Project Briefing

VDOT Training Center—Ramey Memorial Auditorium

4303 Campbell Avenue (Rt. 501)

Lynchburg

Release: http://www.governor.virginia.gov/news/viewRelease.cfm?id=1907

Danville –2:15 PM

Governor McDonnell Tours Precision Machining Center at Danville Community College

Danville Community College—Charles R. Hawkins Engineering & Industrial Technologies Building

Boswell Street

Danville

Ringgold - 3:30 PM

Governor McDonnell Participates in Groundbreaking Ceremony for Dan River Plants, LLC

Dan River Industrial Park

2311 Cane Creek Parkway

Ringgold

Release: http://www.governor.virginia.gov/news/viewRelease.cfm?id=1891 

Martinsville – 5:30 PM

Governor McDonnell Hosts Cook Out for State Employees

Virginia Museum of Natural History—Great Hall

21 Starling Avenue

Martinsville

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Virginia Beach - 10:30 AM

Governor McDonnell Visits Sugar Plum Bakery

1353 Laskin Road

Virginia Beach

Portsmouth – 1:00 PM

Governor McDonnell Participates in Conversation about Virginia’s New Restoration of Rights Policy

Tidewater Community College—Portsmouth Campus Building A

120 Campus Drive

Portsmouth

Release: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/news/viewRelease.cfm?id=1895

Chesapeake – 2:30 PM

Governor McDonnell Makes Major Economic Development Announcement

*Details to be announced closer to event.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Machipongo – 9:00 AM

Governor McDonnell Tours Chatham Vineyards and Winery

9232 Chatham Road

Machipongo

Weems – 11:00 AM
Governor McDonnell Tours Kellum Seafood’s Oyster Harvesting, Shucking and Packing Facility

Kellum Seafood

96 Shipyard Lane

Weems

Fredericksburg – 2:15 PM

Governor McDonnell Tours Intuit and Meets with Employees

110 Juliad Court

Fredericksburg

Woodbridge - 4:15 PM

Governor McDonnell Participates in Roundtable Discussion on Veteran Issues

VFW 1503 Dale City

14631 Minnieville Road

Woodbridge

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Alexandria – 9:30 AM

Governor McDonnell Participates in Roundtable on K-12 Education Reform

*Details to be announced closer to event.

Fairfax – 11:00 AM

Governor McDonnell Discusses Higher Education Policy Reform and the Path Forward

George Mason University

4400 University Drive

Fairfax

Leesburg – 12:30 PM

Governor McDonnell Makes Major Civil War Battleground Preservation Announcement

Ball's Bluff State Park

Leesburg