Va Beach Fishing Center

Va. Beach conference debates: Is wind energy in doldrums?

Wind energy initiative No offshore wind farms currently are operating in the U.S. Last year, a government program was launched to encourage wind energy development. Some wind energy experts say Virginia’s stake will be difficult to claim.

sluggish reception Some say the investment is too steep in Virginia, which has no mandatory renewable energy standard. The cost for generating offshore wind is almost double that from natural gas and coal.

Also, Virginia’s average energy bills are 16 percent below the national norm. Virginia’s cheap utilities may drive down the incentive to pursue costly wind energy projects.

VIRGINIA BEACH

Almost everyone agrees that harnessing offshore wind energy in Virginia is a great idea - it's a clean, abundant, free resource. Problem is, hardly anyone can agree on just how to build, finance and properly regulate a wind farm off the coast.

There are conflicts with military training, fishing boats, cargo vessels, migrating whales and birds. There is the fact that almost every state on the Atlantic coast is racing for scarce investment dollars and government approval to get its project in the water first.

And there is a lingering political debate about whether oil and gas drilling off the Atlantic coast could still be done amid spinning offshore wind turbines, or which energy-capturing activity should be done first.

On Wednesday, more than 200 environmentalists, engineers, regulators, business executives and would-be investors crowded into the Virginia Beach Convention Center to try to find some common ground and move a Virginia project forward.

Perhaps symbolically, just as the conference got under way with coffee and the first Power Point presentation of the day, a power surge briefly knocked out electricity in a main assembly hall, spurring wry laughter amid the crowd in the suddenly darkened room.

"I think we need that offshore energy, like, now," said a grinning Clay Bernick, sustainability director for the city of Virginia Beach.

Of course, that clean energy is not coming any time soon. But, as U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said in a videotaped message over lunch, "the time has come to move beyond the talking stage."

The federal government has been moving slowly, given that there is no offshore wind farm operating in the United States today, though dozens exist off European coasts, and China is building them, too.

VIRGINIA OFFSHORE FISHING REPORT | Virginia Beach Fishing ...

Amberjack are enticing a few anglers to make the long run to the Southern Towers lately where many pups are willing to take your bait, with a few big fish also testing a few backs. Deep droppers are still doing well, but the escalating offshore trolling scene is shifting interest to more bluewater species. For those still dropping a line to the bottom, some tilefish, wreckfish, grouper, rosefish, and nice seabass are good possibilities.

The offshore scene continues to heat up, with quite the mixed bag available. Some yellowfin tuna are around, with a few hogs pushing to over 100-pounds thrilling a few crews. The bluefin tuna action is good, with most fish ranging in the 50-pound school sized class. Most catches of bluefin tuna are coming from the Fingers area and 26-mile Hill, with scattered king mackerel, wahoo, and dolphin in the mix. A few gaffers are pushing to over 20-pounds. Billfish are also available, with several whites and a few blues checking out spreads this week. Scattered mako sharks are also making it back to the docks lately.

The Rudee Angler out of the Virginia Beach Fishing Center is running 12 hour “Deep Drop Trips”.  The 12 hour trips will run every Thursday all summer.