BROWNSVILLE, Texas — The United States is producing less than 1% of the wind power it wants to generate by 2030. But an enormous boat promising to change that is about 89% built, and when it’s done next year, the real race to catch up begins. The ship, named the Charybdis after a mythological Greek sea monster, won’t set sail until next year, potentially after one of the most pro-green energy administrations in history has left the White House.
“Obviously, you don’t want to install a large project like that,” said Mark Mitchell, the Dominion Energy senior vice president overseeing the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project — which, at $9.8 billion, is currently the largest and priciest in the country. Instead, the Charybdis will be able to pick up components on the coast, sail out to the wind farm site, and plant itself into the ocean floor using four 30-story legs that will transform the ship into a construction platform.