Six beaches in Nantucket, Mass., were closed on Tuesday after a wind-turbine blade from an offshore wind farm broke apart over the weekend, sending fiberglass shards into the Atlantic Ocean and onto the nearby coast.
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement shut down Vineyard Wind, located about 13 nautical miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, until further notice following Saturday evening’s incident. The federal agency said its experts are working to determine “the cause of the incident and next steps.”
It remains unclear what caused the breakage, but a local meteorologist said bad weather could have been a possible factor as the area experienced gusty wind and lightning that night. GE Vernova, the manufacturer of the turbine blades used at Vineyard Farm, has launched an investigation into the cause of the damaged blade.
Green and white debris as well as sharp, fiberglass shards have since been washing up onto Nantucket’s shores. The Nantucket Harbormaster announced Tuesday that a total of six beaches would be closed to swimmers, though their sands remain open for walking.
“You can walk on the beaches, however we strongly recommend you wear footwear due to sharp, fiberglass shards and debris on the beaches,” the Nantucket Harbormaster said.
The damaged 351-foot-long blade experienced a break about roughly 65 feet from its root, Vineyard Wind communications director Craig Gilvarg wrote in an email to the New York Times. Workers onsite recovered three large pieces from the ocean quickly following the incident, he said, adding that most of the blade was intact and still attached to the turbine.
Vineyard Wind said Tuesday it had deployed two crews to Nantucket to remove the fiberglass and other debris from the beaches. Beachgoers are not encouraged to pick up the pieces on their own.
“Vineyard Wind is fully committed to a swift and safe recovery of all debris, with an unwavering focus on community safety and environmental protection,” the wind farm 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.”
This incident is the latest snag that the offshore-wind industry has faced. Construction for several wind farms off the coasts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York have either been delayed or canceled.
Moreover, if former president Donald Trump returns to the White House in January 2025, he intends to issue an executive order scrapping offshore wind development on the first day of his second term. Trump cited bird and whale deaths as justification for dismantling offshore wind farms.
Vineyard Farm, the country’s second large-scale offshore wind farm, started producing electricity in January. Still under construction, the site is expected to have a total of 62 turbines in place by the end of the year that could generate 800 megawatts of electricity. That is enough to power 400,000 homes in Massachusetts.
New York’s South Fork Wind project began generating electricity in December. It will be capable of producing 132 megawatts of electricity — enough to power 70,000 homes on Long Island — once completed.