but for the past few years, we have not seen much in the onshore wind space,” Mansour said.
Other US ports have begun to mirror that trend following the pullback on federal funding and permitting for US wind projects, coinciding with policies and investments aimed at ramping up domestic oil and gas production.
The stalled development of the US wind industry has been especially pronounced for East Coast ports, several of which had been handling project cargo for the buildout of offshore wind farms in the Atlantic Ocean.
Murray said he’ s had conversations with representatives of other coastal ports who are exploring new cargo strategies now that multiple offshore wind projects are off the table.“ Everyone who really leaned that way has, for the most part, come to regret it,” he said.
As cargoes shift from wind and solar to oil and gas, some ports are using the opportunity to pivot.
Joe Harris Spokesperson, Virginia Port Authority
Janine Mansour Director of Trade Development, Port of New Orleans
Offshore wind development has seeded new opportunities for the Port of Virginia, which is using the ongoing Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind( CVOW) project Dominion Energy is developing in the mid-Atlantic as an opportunity to prove its heavy-lift capabilities and improve its infrastructure for larger and heavier cargo types.
Virginia Port Authority spokesperson Joe Harris told the Journal of Commerce that the 2.6-gigawatt CVOW project— the largest offshore wind farm in the US— has helped the port lay the groundwork for future heavy-lift business, offshore wind project cargo notwithstanding.
“ The thinking around offshore wind has shifted, and that means we may have to shift as well,” Harris said.
Harris said the Port of Virginia has had conversations with US shipbuilders about using the Newport News Marine Terminal— the port’ s main breakbulk and ro / ro facility— as a laydown area for ship components.
“ We would not be having this discussion with the domestic shipbuilding industry if we didn’ t have the experience that we’ ve gained with offshore wind,” he said.
“ Having the heavy-lift capability really helps us diversify, and it serves as a hedge when cargo container volumes are soft,” Harris added.
Activity from the CVOW project drove breakbulk cargo volumes up at the Port of Virginia to 57,909 tons in September, a 157 % year-over-year increase, he said.
Construction of the CVOW project is about 60 % complete and is on track to wrap up in late 2026, with the wind farm set to start delivering power to the grid in the first quarter of 2026, Dominion spokesperson Jeremy Slayton told the Journal of Commerce.
email: autumn @ autumngiusti. com www. joc. com December 2025 | Journal of Commerce 13