Commission hears updates on offshore wind pause and cruise‑call economic impact to Portsmouth

Commissioners received two operational updates: a local business representative described the immediate commercial effects of a newly announced pause in offshore wind construction, and city staff presented early estimates of the economic impact of American Cruise Lines calls to Portsmouth and discussed preparations for the Sail 250 event.

On offshore wind, a speaker identified in the record as Roger said a 90‑day pause applies to construction activities on the East Coast but does not stop delivery of components. “This is a 90 day pause on construction activities only,” he said; he reported that construction vessels such as the Orion (operated by DEME Offshore US) have paused work and that continued deliveries could create storage and staging constraints at local terminals. He said the pause was industry‑wide, not targeted to Virginia, and predicted legal challenges, adding that he expected the national‑security rationale for the pause to be contested. He also asserted that turbines can provide useful radar and situational data to government agencies and that local companies are watching how contractors and vessel operators will respond.

City staff reported an early, model‑based estimate of economic impact from American Cruise Lines’ Portsmouth calls, using 2023 vessel data. Staff said direct spending linked to those calls is estimated at roughly $230,000–$265,000, with indirect impacts of about $100,000–$135,000 — producing an estimated total economic output in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars. Staff discussed outreach being done with the Hampton Roads Alliance and local tourism partners to improve on‑shore experiences, correct mapping errors that previously directed passengers to neighboring jurisdictions, and explore options to capture more spending (turnaround port scenarios, head taxes, dockage and curated excursions). Councilman Datson asked staff to try to estimate total ship‑related spending beyond what occurs in Portsmouth to help pitch opportunities to local businesses.

These items were presented for information; no formal action was taken on the offshore wind pause or the economic estimates during the meeting.