Feds shut down Vineyard Wind as investigation continues

The cause of the Vineyard Wind damaged blade has not been publicized but federal officials are investigating. 

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Updated, July 17

Vineyard Wind is reporting that one of its turbine blades was damaged on Saturday evening, leaving fiberglass scattered around its lease area and debris washed ashore on Nantucket.

Federal officials have said that the exact cause of the damage is unknown, while the U.S. Coast Guard has issued warnings about floating marine debris. The agency has established a 500-meter safety perimeter since Saturday evening.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is investigating the cause of the broken blade. A spokesperson for the agency said that Vineyard Wind operations have been shut down until further notice. The action includes halting power production and construction.

“As of this date, there are no reported injuries or harm to any marine resources or mammals from the incident,” the bureau stated on Wednesday, July 17. 

Craig Gilvarg, Vineyard Wind’s spokesperson, told the Times on Tuesday afternoon the turbine’s blade broke 20 meters, or about 65 feet, from its root. The root connects the blade to the turbine’s rotor. 

“The turbine was in its commissioning phase, and was still undergoing testing,” Gilvarg told The Times. “Nearly the entirety of the blade remains affixed to the turbine, and has not fallen into the water. [Vineyard Wind] deployed [service] vessels immediately to recover three large blade pieces from the ocean.”

Gilvarg did not provide further details on the break, and said the cause was currently unknown.

The offshore wind developers said that no personnel or “third parties” were in the vicinity of the turbines at the time of the incident. 

Vineyard Wind is developing 62 turbines 15 miles south of the Vineyard. Vineyard Wind’s GE Haliade-X 13MW turbines are 853 feet tall, including the blades. The blades are 351 feet long.

“After modeling currents and wind direction, Vineyard Wind does not currently anticipate the presence of debris on Martha’s Vineyard,” Gilvarg said. 

This was not the case for Nantucket, whose southwestern beaches were littered with fiberglass debris washed ashore from the Vineyard Wind incident. 

Still, Edgartown town administrator James Hagerty told The Times that this doesn’t mean fiberglass fragments won’t show up on the Vineyard. He said it would be “very problematic” if town beaches, like popular summertime destinations South Beach or Norton Point, had to be closed because of Vineyard Wind debris. 

“It’s a huge concern,” Hagerty said. For now, the town is awaiting additional information from Vineyard Wind: “If we find any, we’ll work with the [parks department] to take action.” 

Hagerty said it would be “completely unacceptable” if the town would need to implement a mitigation plan for offshore wind debris because incidents like Vineyard Wind’s broken turbine blade became more frequent. The town currently has no mitigation plan, and he hopes one won’t be needed.

“If we have to implement a debris mitigation plan for offshore wind, then we’ve failed on multiple levels,” he said.

John Keene, president of the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust, said he heard from Vineyard Wind on Tuesday that the incident occurred at the offshore wind farm’s southernmost turbine. He also said he wanted to know the cause of the damage, pointing out that while Saturday was windy, there weren’t gale- or hurricane-level winds. 

“No one’s really happy about it,” Keene said, pointing out that commercial fishermen now have to be cautious about “another pollutant” in the water. 

Cheryl Andrews-Maltais, chairwoman of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), said she found the incident “very troubling.” 

“I have not had any communication, as the tribe’s leader, from the project proponents, or BOEM [Bureau of Ocean Energy Management], or BSEE about the damaged blade,” she said. 

The tribe had raised questions to BOEM last July about the possibility of turbine blades experiencing microfractures while being shipped across the Atlantic from Europe, according to Andrews-Maltais. She said these concerns were raised because there have been few instances when blades of Vineyard Wind’s size, roughly as big as a football field, were shipped across the ocean. 

The chairwoman said the agency had not given many details about these concerns other than that the shipments and construction were being conducted at the “industry standard.”

Andrews-Maltais said the tribe had also called for a moratorium on permitting more offshore wind projects until the long-term impacts of constructing the wind farms could be better understood.

“And yet they continue to permit,” she said. 

As reported on Tuesday, debris from the turbine blade has washed ashore on Nantucket’s south shore, and beaches in the area were closed in that area. Vineyard Wind has sent two teams of four people to remove the debris. 

Vineyard Wind has since said that with the help of Nantucket, 17 cubic yards, or 459 cubic feet, of debris, has been recovered. The offshore wind developer will be boosting its employees and contractors working on the cleanup to 35 individuals. On Wednesday, the Nantucket Police chief reopened the town’s beaches for swimming. 

Vineyard Wind stated several Nantucket beaches will still be monitored for potential debris that could wash ashore. 

The company said that it had informed Nantucket officials about “the presence of debris and recovery efforts on the southern-facing beaches of the island.” Vineyard Wind was scheduled to meet with the Nantucket select board on Wednesday, July 17, about the situation. 

“Vineyard Wind is fully committed to a swift and safe recovery of all debris,” a Tuesday morning statement reads.

Vineyard Wind stated that the debris consists of “nontoxic fiberglass fragments,” and the pieces washing up on beaches are expected to be around one square foot or less in size, usually green or white in color. 

“Vineyard Wind has successfully recovered three large fragments, and will continue to monitor the offshore area for any floating debris with aerial overflights and vessel patrols,” Vineyard Wind’s Tuesday morning statement reads.

Julian Cyr, who represents the Islands in the State Senate, said on Wednesday all of the debris must be “promptly and thoroughly removed,” and it was fortunate that the fiberglass and foam boards found on the beaches were nontoxic. He recommended residents who come across debris refrain from handling the items, and instead contact Vineyard Wind’s reporting hotline at 833-609-5768. 

“We are maintaining open lines of communication with the town of Nantucket, with a particular focus on the safety of local residents, environmental health considerations, and access to the beaches. We are in ongoing contact with representatives from Vineyard Wind, who are responsible for addressing the cleanup,” Cyr said in a statement. 

Gilvarg told the Times if Vineyarders find debris on the Island’s shores, they should directly contact Vineyard Wind’s cleanup contractor at bit.ly/3zKhHOC

On Monday evening, Coast Guard Lt. Samantha Corcoran told The Times that the exact cause of the incident is unknown, and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement is investigating.

“BSEE is coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard and state officials to ensure information sharing,” a spokesperson for the federal agency, Isabel Benemelis, said. “A team of BSEE experts is onsite to work closely with Vineyard Wind on an analysis of the cause of the incident and next steps. Operations are shut down until further notice.” 

Corcoran also said that Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England was notified about the turbine blade damage on Saturday at 7:01 pm. Corcoran said mariners were warned about the debris when the incident was reported, and were encouraged to monitor marine radios for safety broadcasts. 

“There are indications that smaller debris may remain adrift; mariners should remain cautious,” Corcoran said in an email. 

On Saturday evening, the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center broadcast a notice for maritime hazards in the southeastern New England sector. 

According to its website, which lists current and previous safety notices to mariners, a warning was published on Saturday at 10:36 pm, stating that the Coast Guard received a report of three pieces of floating debris, “10 meters by 2 meters, in the vicinity of approximately 26 nautical miles southeast of Martha’s Vineyard and 22 nautical miles southwest of Nantucket.” 

A notice about floating debris in the same area was issued again on Monday at 10:33 am. “All mariners are requested to use extreme caution while transiting the area,” the notices read.

The Times has yet to receive confirmation from the Coast Guard about whether these notices were related to the damaged blade incident. However, an advisory to mariners issued by Vineyard Wind on Wednesday regarding the damaged turbine blade states the Coast Guard “received a report of floating debris” in the same area mentioned in the Saturday notification from the branch’s navigation center. 

State officials are also monitoring the incident. 

“State energy officials were briefed by Vineyard Wind on the incident and the planned safety response,” Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs spokesperson Maria Hardiman said in a statement Monday. “There is a rigorous, federally approved safety process in place, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely as Vineyard Wind, GE, and the federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement conduct an analysis of the cause and their next steps. We are grateful to the trained personnel who addressed the situation so quickly.”

GE is the manufacturer of Vineyard Wind’s turbines and blades, as well as the contractor in charge of installing the turbines. GE will also be conducting an analysis into the root cause of the incident.

“On July 13, a single turbine at the Vineyard Wind offshore wind farm experienced an isolated blade event. No injuries occurred, and GE Vernova’s wind fleet performance management team have initiated our investigation protocols into the event in coordination with our customer,” a Monday statement from GE Vernova, formerly GE Renewable Energy, reads. 

“As that analysis takes place, Vineyard Wind will continue working with federal, state, and local stakeholders to ensure the health and safety of its workforce, mariners, and the environment,” Vineyard Wind’s Monday statement reads. 

Environmentalists are also keeping an eye on the situation. 

“We’re grateful to hear that no one on the water has been harmed, that there has been no apparent harm to marine life, and that Vineyard Wind will deploy recovery teams to clean up debris from the blade fracture,” Brad Campbell, president of the Conservation Law Foundation, said in a statement. “It is important that Vineyard Wind take responsibility for this incident and prevent future accidents. But it’s also important for the public to understand that wind farms have been safely constructed around the world with none of the marine disasters — explosions, catastrophic oil spills — and [the] sacrifice of human safety associated with the fossil fuels they are replacing.” 

Trustees of Reservations officials say they have not seen signs of debris at Wasque or Leland. They ask that if beachgoers see debris, they alert a Trustees ranger or the gatehouse.

71 COMMENTS

  1. What a joke I doubt these will remain operational
    Throughout there 25 year lease and who will pay for this the tax payers and consumers of the electricity we want real green energy shift not offshore wind bringing 100s of whale deaths and displacement of commercial fishing what a shame

    • The first large scale wind farm went on line in England in 2012.
      No major failures.
      Is it a joke?
      Jet engine turbine blade failure is fairly common, are jet engines jokes?
      How many whales has wind killed?
      Oil?

  2. It hit a bird and now going to cover it up. They do not hurt whales either but there is a dead one in Cape Poge stinking up the lighthouse for months.

  3. Let me speculate without any evidence whatsoever…
    I have no clue what the damage was or how it happened.
    but let me just say,— again without any evidence or facts–
    A violent republican wind-o-phobe that has been listening
    to extremist propaganda about how the windmills are
    killing whales has taken it into their own hands to stop this,
    and took their a-r 15 out there and shot it.
    Note that I am not even saying “I think”
    If you want a reference as to why I might say that,
    look at comment #1 about the attempted trump assassination.
    Pure speculation to bolster my point.
    It doesn’t matter that I have no idea about the actual
    details, but it sure is fun to blame people on the other side.
    But don’t worry– I will get back to reality soon.

    • Brevity is the the soul of wit—and wisdom. Especially in the ignorant.
      How often need one read “I don’t know anything about it but . . .”

      Briefly, some s— has hit the fan.

    • More stereotypes and associated hate speech
      Keep up the demonization of people you disagree with

    • Infant mortality.
      Like the first 100 hours on a jet engine turbine.
      Where To the blade bits and oil go?
      The 100 pound pieces?

  4. I especially love your new factory at five corners, it’s a beauty, fits right in to the new Vineyard. You all are especially smart. Turtle soup anyone? How about some whale stew? I know where there are one hundred dolphins in distress, easy pickin’s, dolphin pizza!

    • You prefer Packer’s fuel tank farm and the Shipyards tin sheds?
      Do you miss the broken down old fish house.

  5. I’ve been pretty vocal about my opposition to this industrialization of our ocean and this to proves my point why. This is green energies version of an oil spill ( yes , to a lesser degree)
    I also know that mechanical failures happen and this is one of those failures. If it continues to happen, then obviously we have a problem on a grander scale.
    I just read VW1 is sending clean up teams to clean the beaches and surrounding waters. I applaud their efforts.

    I’m more concerned about the effects the Mono pile driving noise is doing to the marine life that can’t be cleaned up. We’ve seen the strange behaviors from so many species again this summer , as I mentioned previously we would.

    • You are so right.
      Plus, Vineyard Haven is becoming an uglified company town.

      So far according to personal communications just harbormaster and life-saving crew on Nantucket are doing the cleanup.

      • Katherine, it’s interesting to me that so many people think that Martha’s Vineyard (or Nantucket or the Cape) has the right to be a beautiful Disneyland and never change. Change, industry—that’s for the real world.

        • Yes, Mary couldn’t agree more. What the problem with building a half dozen 15 story affordable housing units here on MV? Could it be the elite liberal progressives don’t want “those” people in public housing on the MV? I’ll let you answer that Mary

  6. The timing it truly excellent for concerned Vineyarders and delushional offshore wind boosters alike to watch Robert Bryce’s presentation, available today on Green Oceans’ Youtube channel:

    “The Energy Transition, Offshore Wind, and the Real Fuels of the Future”
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3aSTInWX9Y

    Bryce recently gave presentations on Nantucket and in Newport, using plenty of graphs and statistics to illustrate his points. A series of truth bombs about the insanity, and cupidity, of the offshore wind campaign. This industrialization of our continental shelf will do nothing to affect “climate change.”

  7. P.S. And why don’t “they” know what caused this breakage?

    It occurred on July 13 and they still don’t know the cause?

    What is the point of all the computers and monitoring?

    What a colossal waste of valuable resources.

    • The same reason that they do know why jet engine turbine blades break.
      Jet engines are a very mature technology.
      They have lots computers and monitoring?
      Are oil production platforms a colossal waste of valuable resources?

  8. Nantucket has closed down all their south coast beaches on a hot Summer day. I’m pretty sure Mr. Keller has thoughtfully posited in the past that Vineyard Wind would be good for tourism. Not so much.

    • John- I’m not sure why Nantucket felt the
      need to close its south facing beaches.
      It’s not like it’s an oil spill.
      But who am I to question their call ?
      We will see about that tourism claim.
      Here’s one company that seems to be doing
      quite well in England.
      https://rampionoffshorewindfarm.co.uk/

      • Don, I thought you were the resident expert—on all topics, including wind turbines. I can’t imagine why you post comments if you don’t know anything.

        A possible reason for closing the beaches: the edges of the fiberglass are sharp and people especially children could get cuts. Vineyard Wind says, “Don’t touch!!” Liability panic?

        Here are some good aerial shots of why the beaches are no-go areas and how a few tourists and others feel about that:

        https://article.wn.com/view/2024/07/17/BAN_WIND_TURBINES_Wind_turbine_debris_closes_some_Nantucket_/

        • Katherine– It seems you are criticizing me for not
          knowing details about this incident ?
          Or perhaps it’s because I am mocking others who declare they
          have the right answer without any facts.
          Especially since the person I was mocking is
          a republican– Oh no– can’t do that —
          But I will give you credit for your possible
          explanation as to why Nantucket closed it’s beaches.
          That seems like a reasonable assumption.
          But This article didn’t mention why and I choose
          not to speculate.
          i am sure that you can understand that my first
          comment here was clearly sarcastic conjecture.
          I think it would a good thing for some people here to
          preface their speculative comments with
          “I don’t know, but I think”

          • I am criticizing you for your obsession with posting long, boring, sermonizing comments, poorly formatted so hard to read anyhow, when you have, really, nothing to say.

  9. I’ve mentioned this before but wouldn’t it be beneficial to let VW1 complete it’s permitted project and use the data over a 5 year period as a control in this “experiment” that’s planned (and actually in the process of development as we speak)on the entire east coast?
    Then , we’d have “real time” data and have a chance to actually see what (if any) repercussions these projects represent?
    What just happened isn’t of disasterous proportions but could it be down the road as these blades diminish in strength from all forms of weather conditions ?

    • Jason: What? A moratorium? To collect and analyze actual data instead of literally banking on models? And miss out on the tides of taxpayer money flowing into certain coffers? You are speaking and thinking like a man who actually works for his living and takes his own risks with his own money. Sadly, my old friend, such men are anachronisms these days.

      • John, it’s interesting that you don’t condemn the oil industry in the same way. The US oil companies earned so much money last year that they have 485 BILLION dollars left over once they paid all their bills. (And since they pay the US Taxpayers almost nothing for the leases on federal land, it’s no surprise they are rolling in dough).

        • Mary do you know how the stock market works. Oil companies belong to equity owners who expect a return on investment.

          • Andrew, that expected return is exactly why the oil industry is telling lies about renewable energy. You reinforced my point.

    • We have real time data. The first commerical wind farm (140 units) went into operation 12 years ago, no significant failures.
      All “propellors” diminish in strength over time.
      That is why the FAA has service limits on aircraft turbine blades

      • All “propellors” diminish in strength over time.

        This is hilarious, in the current context.
        I’m wiping the tears from my eyes . . .

  10. Thank you Katherine Scott for posting the Green Ocean link, it is 100% accurate and thank you, for helping to wake up our island locals to reality and the truth. We need to stop offshore wind in our waters, how can anyone dispute what is so obvious in this link you posted, I encourage every islander to watch it.

      • Yes, Albert, China is releasing their country from the Trillions of commitments to the oil industry. They are using the trillions of savings to invest in military bases around the world. They’re even building islands in the Pacific to create a better military advantage.

  11. This incident and break up of a TOXIC fiberglass blade raises great concerns about the recovery, fine particles are toxic and wildlife can be impacted, all things in nature will be impacted. It is also concerning this happened in mild weather conditions, in a northerly wind it would drift out to sea, never recovered. Our environmental regulators should be greatly concerned, along with Woodshole Oceanographic. What happens in winter with Northeast gales the like of hurricane winds? With all debri blown off shore what’s the recovery mission then?

    • There have been commerical wind turbines in the North Sea for over 12 years.
      No significant failures.
      When a jet throws a turbine blade on take off where do they dump fuel to get down to landing weight?

    • There are at least 100 sunk TOXIC fiberglass boats in the waters south of Cape Cod.
      They all went down with some to, a lot of fuel onboard

      • Albert, had never considered that scenario, so thank you for the information. Wish that people trusted other professionals, besides themselves.

  12. Jeez, I thought they would at least be finished building them before they started breaking. In all fairness, that was a severe North Atlantic hurricane last week.

  13. This is the second offshore incident involving this wind turbine blade model type. The last occurred in May 2024 off the NE coast of England. The blade incident in May was part of the Dogger Bank wind farm. This is the 10th of 62 wind turbines…

  14. Enough already of this foolishness. Wind Power WILL NOT have any impact of reducing climate change. Even BOEM has admitted that. When you plunk and industrial power plant in the ocean in the ocean how do you not anticipate industrial accidents happening there. So tired of the liberal ignorance in this state.

    • You trust a BOEM under Biden?

      When you plunk an oil production platform in the ocean how do you not anticipate industrial accidents happening there?
      Failures are anticipated.
      So tired of the Conservative ignorance on this Island .

    • John, has climate change impacted you yet?
      MV Times has had some excellent articles regarding the beetles destroying our pine 🌲 trees. If you read articles that reducing fossil fuels won’t help climate change, you can be assured that the oil industry started the propaganda, and then people who take it for face value pass it on without knowing the truth.
      Vote against the oil barons, just this once.

      • No it has not impacted my life one iota and I’ve lived by the ocean for over 60 years. Other than the typical erosion nothing along the shoreline has changed.

        • John, so losing a pine 🌲 forest and a population of lobsters 🦞 doesn’t impact you? Interesting.

  15. Blade broke off on Saturday. Authorities were not informed til 5pm Monday. How many children and dogs were playing in the south shore of Nantucket before VW finally tell everyone. They also allowed young lifeguards to pick up the majority of the debris in bare feet, no gloves, mask etc. I’d also encourage authorities to have the debris checked to be sure these fiberglass fragments aren’t toxic. Trust but verify.

      • Albert, your contrarism is getting annoying. While non-toxic, the jagged edge of broken fiberglass is definitely not something you want to step on or swim into.

  16. Every year for the last ten I have watched with dismay the weather becoming hotter and rivers of rain in the atmosphere flooding cities and causing severe road damage. I feel bad for anyone 30 years old or younger their life’s will become restricted due to severe weather. More of their life’s will be in doors which in itself will cause more pollution of the type which is making the average temperatures higher and faster than the scientists believed possible. In the years to come potable water will become very scarce and a commodity which counties will go to war for. Crops within thirty years will start failing in the areas we rely to feed us and many of the worlds’ people. The ocean is not immune in fact it is the oceans the have the most influence on the weather, guess what they are getting warmer quicker than thought possible. Scientists estimate that roughly half of the oxygen production on Earth comes from the ocean. The majority of this production is from oceanic plankton — drifting plants, algae, and some bacteria that can photosynthesize. One particular species, Prochlorococcus, is the smallest photosynthetic organism on Earth. Just imagine if you will that the oxygen supply began to decline, what I am writing is scary especially if your 30 years old or younger. I really have no time for anyone who denies the science nor do the young of the world. It is in fact too late for many of the consequences of which I write but maybe just maybe a less populated earth in the future which uses energy sources that produce less pollution might be able to allow the earth in the next two hundred years to start to heal herself.

      • andy– I know you don’t like to admit the obvious but
        but you don’t have to be a rocket surgeon to see that
        severe weather events are increasing in both frequency
        and severity. As I recall, real climate scientists ( like your favorite,
        Michael Mann) have been predicting exactly what we are seeing
        for years. I think even you have to admit the average global
        temperature is rising at an alarming rate.
        But you are free to tell us that there are less storms, fewer droughts
        and earth’s temperature is going down. I get it.
        You worship a guy that tells us there were no wars anywhere
        in the world in January of 2021.
        https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/19/politics/video/fact-check-daniel-dale-trump-rnc-speech-digvid you can see his lie about that starting at
        44 seconds in this clip.

        You have clearly stated here that you don’t care about the
        consequences of rising temperatures because you are old,
        and you live in wall built building. You can thank those
        silly government regulations for that.
        I won’t bother posting any silly facts about the weather.
        I am sure that you have personally seen it.
        But I do wonder what your reaction was when I sent you actual
        verifiable data that heat kills many more people than cold does.
        Do you remember incorrectly stating that cold weather kills 9 times
        as many as heat ? Maybe not, you’re not much younger than Brandon,
        after all.
        But no worries, Florida has forbid the use of the words “climate change”
        and :global warming” form all official publications, and trump will likely
        take the the NOAA site about those issues down. Like he did the last
        time he was president. I imagine he will have sharpies at the ready to
        alter the maps of the National Huricane Center.
        And his trumpapo “storm troopers” ( forgive the irony) might even
        be able to shut down those fake weather services.

  17. Not trying to downplay what happened here, but are y’all this concerned about plastic pollution in the oceans? Or is that too woke?

  18. The sky is falling said Henny Penny to Ducky Lucky. Meanwhile the little red hen noticed that none of these pieces of fiberglass are radioactive or even remotely toxic. The blade failure released no coal fly ash into the ocean. Zero gallons of oil were spilled. Nobody was evacuated from the area of the most benign industrial accident imaginable.
    Does anyone own any machinery? Does it ever break? When it breaks would you rather pick up a few pieces of fiberglass or have a super fund site in your backyard?
    My friend called from Salt Lake the other day and it was 109 degrees there. I told him the environmentalists on MV would like to help out but the problem is that red lights are sometimes visible near the horizon and those lights weren’t there 100 years ago. Their presence is a sacrifice too great to make so I guess my friend is on his own.

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