It's WINDSday | May 15, 2024

Celebrating the Power of Wind, Clean Energy and a Green Environment

It’s called the Orion, and the 708-foot, Belgium-flagged installation vessel, owned by DEME, will be a frequent sight in the Hampton Roads harbor this coming year, ferrying 270-foot tall monopiles from a wharf in Portsmouth to the site of Dominion Energy’s 176-turbine windfarm, located 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach.  

The first voyage, with six monopiles aboard, took place this week. As soon as all support vessels are in place, the Orion, armed with a 5,000-ton crane and vibro hammer, will install the pieces about 150 feet into the seabed. The monopiles will create a secure foundation for the 2.6-gigawatt CVOW project, which will provide a quarter of the electricity we consume in the Commonwealth starting in late 2026.

Keep reading It’s WINDSday for updates on equipment arrivals, departures, and installations. And if you’re on our Atlantic Ocean or Chesapeake Bay beaches, look out for the Orion as it makes renewable energy history in Hampton Roads. 

Calling our state’s marine terminals “America’s most modern gateway,” VPA CEO and Executive Director Stephen Edwards delivered an upbeat State of the Port report to a packed luncheon in Virginia Beach last week.

During the address to the Hampton Roads Global Commerce Council, Edwards detailed $1.4 billion in investments, including $220 million, which is transforming “Portsmouth Marine Terminal into the most capable offshore wind hub in the nation.” 

That investment is strengthening the pier, enabling it to house the monopiles, nacelles, towers, and blades that will become Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, the largest in the nation.

“We are proud to lead our industry in innovative solutions that enhance safety, reduce carbon emissions, drive efficiency, decrease operational costs, and add competitive capacity,” said Edwards, a proud WINDSday supporter and leader in our maritime economy.

George Kotarides and I share a little Tidewater history. He was raised in a family bakery, the Norfolk one that made Mary Jane bread. I grew up in a family bakery, the Newport News one that baked Brenner’s vienna, rye, and pumpernickel. I went into communications, he into pizza.

“After college (master’s at UR), I worked for Milton Papadapoulos, the inspiration for Milton’s Pizza, which had about 40 locations around here at one time,” says George. “I still use his Greek recipes for my dough, marinara, and pizza sauce.”

He recalls “going to Azalea Inn and Shakey's Pizza on Little Creek Road. They had great pizza, and those experiences also stuck with me.” 

George and wife Stacy recently celebrated the 35th anniversary of their first store on Atlantic Avenue at 24th Street. They have a second at 33rd Street, and although they show no signs of slowing down, they did sell their third at 17th Street earlier this year.

“Persistence and tenacity” are how fellow oceanfront restaurateur Bill Gambrell (Tautog’s), who stopped by to pay tribute, says you stay in business that long. “In trying times, like during the Savings and Loans crisis in the late 80s when we nearly went bankrupt, we've had to dig deep, have a bit of courage, a dose of discipline, and have faith that the bad times will end,” says George. Being a resort strip stalwart, including helping start the active Atlantic Avenue Association, has kept Kotarides relevant and beloved.

They have also been good to staff, the customers, and the community. On that score, Dough Boys has been a WINDSday partner since Day 1 of our campaign, so we are proud to salute George and Stacy for their well-earned success. 

Dough Boy's Pizza | 2410 Atlantic Avenue & 3224 Atlantic Avenue | Virginia Beach https://doughboyspizza.com

Remember 60’s British folk-rocker Donovan? His first hit in 1965, “Catch the Wind,” hit #17 in the U.S. and produced dozens of covers by the likes of Glen Campbell, Cher, Buck Owens, Chet Atkins, Eartha Kitt, We Five, The Lettermen, Flatt & Scruggs, Dottie West, Joan Baez, Jimmy LeFave and Rickie Lee Jones.

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