Dominion Energy believes its US-record 2.6GW offshore wind project can avoid the spatial planning conflicts with other maritime users that have dogged New England developments, the Virginia utility said.

Bob Blue, Dominion's executive vice president and co-chief operating officer, said its Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) faces different issues around turbine spacing than those confronting developers elsewhere on the US East Coast.

There are six commercial wind energy lease areas with more than 11GW of potential generation capacity south of Massachusetts – potentially a large number of turbines in a relatively small tract of ocean and a source of contention for local commercial fisheries.