Wind Power Operations Off Nantucket Island Are Suspended After Turbine Blade Parts Washed Ashore

Wind Power Operations Off Nantucket Island Are Suspended After Turbine Blade Parts Washed Ashore
Giant wind turbine blades for the Vineyard Winds project are stacked on racks in the harbor, in New Bedford, Mass., on July 11, 2023. Charles Krupa/AP Photo
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NANTUCKET, Mass.—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.