Nation’s largest offshore wind project under federal investigation

The nation’s largest offshore wind farm, located 14 miles off the coast of Massachusetts, is now under federal investigation. The Vineyard Wind project, comprised of 62 turbines and designed to power over 400,000 homes once fully operational, suffered a setback during the week of July 14.

The incident occurred when a blade over 350 feet long from one of the turbines broke, scattering debris into the Atlantic Ocean and necessitating the closure of nearby beaches. Shards of fiberglass from the structure, which stands over 800 feet tall, were found washing up on shore.

“Vineyard Wind is fully committed to a swift and safe recovery of all debris, with an unwavering focus on community safety and environmental protection,” Vineyard Wind said in a statement. “As part of its immediate action plan, Vineyard Wind communicated with officials on Nantucket to inform them of the presence of debris and recovery efforts on the southern-facing beaches of the island.”

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In response to the malfunction, General Electric, the manufacturer of the turbine, has dispatched a team to investigate the cause of the breakage. Additionally, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), a federal agency under the Department of the Interior, is conducting its own investigation. BSEE has announced that operations at the wind farm will be halted until further notice.

“There were no injuries reported, but operations are shut down until further notice,” a spokesperson for BSEE said. “BSEE is coordinating with the United States Coast Guard and state officials to ensure information sharing. 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.”

Vineyard Wind has been working with the U.S. Coast Guard to establish a safety perimeter around the site and to alert passing vessels of the potential hazard. The damaged turbine was still undergoing testing and had not yet been brought online at the time of the breakage.

“We’re making progress in the debris recovery efforts and mobilizing even more resources on the island to hasten the cleanup as quickly as possible,” Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus Moeller said. “The public can have confidence that we will be here as long as it takes to get the job done and make sure the beaches are cleaned up.”

Officials are currently trying to determine the exact cause of the incident and how to prevent similar occurrences in the future. In the meantime, the Coast Guard has reported that most of the debris has been removed, but boaters are advised to proceed with caution around the area as the cleanup process continues.