Blade collapse, N.Y. launch and N.J. research show uneven progress of offshore wind – theday.com

FILE - Turbines operate at the Block Island Wind Farm, Dec. 7, 2023, off the coast of Block Island, R.I. The Massachusetts Senate debated a bill Tuesday, June 25, 2024 aimed at expanding the adoption of renewable energy in a bid to to help Massachusetts get one step closer to meeting its aggressive climate goals, including reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File)

Atlantic, N.J. Three events Wednesday highlighted the uneven progress of the offshore wind industry in the Northeast, including the start of a major project in New York, research aimed at preventing environmental damage in New Jersey, and a temporary shutdown of a wind farm in Massachusetts after a broken turbine blade washed ashore on a famous beach.

The federal government has ordered an offshore wind developer off Nantucket Island, a popular summer tourist destination in Massachusetts, to suspend operations after parts of a damaged turbine blade washed up on the beaches.

A spokesman for the federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said Wednesday that operations at Vineyard Wind have been suspended until it can be determined whether the blade failure impacts other turbine blades on the development. As a result, power production on the lease area has been suspended and installation of new wind turbine generator construction is also on hold.

Meanwhile, Nantucket officials said all South Shore beaches have reopened on the island after the company said six truckloads of debris were collected. The company said that the debris consists of nontoxic fiberglass fragments and that any washing ashore will be pieces of one square foot or less.

Were 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 in a statement, which asks people to report any debris sightings to the company or town officials and avoid handling themselves. 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.

Vineyard Wind said it is also working with the U.S. Coast Guard to maintain a safety zone of 1,640 feet around the affected offshore turbine.

The regions power grid operator, ISO New England, said it was aware of the incident but that it would have no impact.

New Englands power system remains reliable, ISO New England spokesperson Matthew Kakley said in a statement. Our system operators plan for unanticipated issues on the system, such as resource outages.

Vineyard Wind is a joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and said no personnel or third parties were near the turbine when the damage occurred. It said in a statement that blade manufacturer and installation contractor GE will now be conducting the analysis into the root cause of the incident.

The developments massive wind turbines began sending electricity to the grid this past winter. It said it will deploy trained individuals to collect the debris for the next several days.

Also on Wednesday, a groundbreaking ceremony was held to start construction of New Yorks largest offshore wind project, Sunrise Wind, a 924-megawatt project by the Danish wind developer rsted. Once completed, the project will provide enough clean energy to power approximately 600,000 New York homes.

It will be located approximately 30 miles east of Montauk, N.Y.

We look forward to building New Yorks largest offshore wind project, helping the state meet its clean energy targets while strengthening the local offshore wind workforce and supply chain, said David Hardy, executive vice president and CEO Americas for rsted.

rsted was far along in the approval process to build two offshore wind farms in New Jersey when it scrapped both projects last October, saying they were no longer financially feasible.

And New Jersey officials on Wednesday said they would make nearly $5 million available for scientific research projects to document current environmental conditions in areas where wind farms are planned, as well as to predict and prevent potential harm to the environment or wildlife.

Shawn LaTourette, New Jerseys environmental protection commissioner, said his state is committed to advancing science that will ensure that offshore wind, a necessary component of our work to address the impact of climate change, is developed responsibly and in a manner that minimizes impacts to our precious coastal environment.

The state is seeking proposals for surveying wildlife and habitats before wind farm construction starts; making technical innovations in data collection and analysis; studying fishery sustainability and socio-economic impacts of offshore wind; identifying and reducing the impact of offshore wind noise on marine life, and studies of bird and bat abundance, among other things.

Concerns about potential damage to the environment, marine life and birds have been among the reasons cited by opponents of offshore wind for trying to halt the nascent industry in the U.S. On Wednesday, one of the most vocal groups, Protect Our Coast-NJ used the Nantucket accident to renew its call to end the offshore wind industry, calling the incident simply unacceptable.

FILE - Giant wind turbine blades for the Vineyard Winds project are stacked on racks in the harbor, July 11, 2023, in New Bedford, Mass. Vineyard Wind said Tuesday, July 16, 2024, that it is working to recover debris on Nantucket's southern-facing beaches after one of the wind turbine blades suffered damage last weekend. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

Land-based wind turbines spin in Atlantic City, N.J., on April 28, 2022. On July 11, 2024, Community Offshore Wind identified itself as the third company to submit plans for an offshore wind farm in New Jersey by the previous day's deadline. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

A land-based wind turbine spins in Atlantic City, N.J. on April 28, 2022. On July 11, 2024, Community Offshore Wind identified itself as the third company to submit plans for an offshore wind farm in New Jersey by the previous day's deadline. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

FILE - Land-based wind turbines turn in Atlantic City, N.J. on July 20, 2023. On Monday, July 1, 2024, the U.S,. Interior Department approved the Atlantic Shores offshore wind project in New Jersey, which would be the states first wind farm once additional federal and state approvals are granted. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry, File)

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Blade collapse, N.Y. launch and N.J. research show uneven progress of offshore wind - theday.com