Offshore Wind Farm Fast-Tracked By Biden Admin Shut Down After Turbine Falls Apart
18th July 2024
The federal government suspended the operations of a wind farm located off the coast of Massachusetts after a massive turbine fell apart, sending debris into the ocean and forcing local officials to temporarily close nearby beaches.
Earlier this week, Vineyard Wind’s developer reported a “blade failure incident” at the facility and said it had dispatched crews to collect debris in the surrounding waters and on beaches in Nantucket, Massachusetts. According to Vineyard Wind, the turbine blade was undergoing testing when it unexpectedly broke about 20 meters from its root.
The incident is the latest black eye to both the offshore wind energy industry, which has faced a number of economic setbacks in recent months, and the Biden administration’s green energy plans. Vineyard Wind was the first large-scale, offshore wind project approved in the U.S. The Department of the Interior signed off on the project in May 2021, less than four months after President Biden took office.