Three events on 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 the temporary closure of a wind farm in Massachusetts after broken turbine blades washed up on a popular beach.
The federal government has ordered the operator of a wind farm off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, to suspend operations while cleanup continues after a wind turbine blade fell into the water, broke off and washed up on beaches at the popular vacation spot.
Vineyard Wind said Wednesday it had removed 17 cubic yards of debris, enough to fill more than six trucks, along with several larger pieces that washed ashore. The debris was mostly non-toxic fiberglass fragments ranging in size from small pieces to larger sections, and was usually green or white.
Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, has increased its beach patrols to include 35 people searching for and removing debris.
“We are making progress in our wreck recovery efforts and are mobilizing more resources on the island to expedite the cleanup as quickly as possible,” CEO Klaus Mueller said in a statement. “The public can be confident that we will be here for as long as it takes to get the job done.”
Also on Wednesday, a groundbreaking ceremony was held to begin construction on New York’s largest offshore wind project, the 924-megawatt Sunrise Wind project, being developed by Danish wind developer Orsted. Once completed, the project will provide enough clean energy to power nearly 600,000 New York homes.
It will be built about 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of Montauk, New York.
“We look forward to building the largest offshore wind project in New York, helping the state achieve its clean energy goals while strengthening the local offshore wind workforce and supply chain,” said David Hardy, Executive Vice President and CEO of Ørsted in the Americas.
Orsted was well into the approval process for two offshore wind farms in New Jersey when it canceled both projects last October, saying they were no longer financially viable.
New Jersey officials said Wednesday they will allocate nearly $5 million 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.
“New Jersey is committed to developing the science that will ensure that offshore wind energy, a critical component of our work to address the impacts of climate change, is developed responsibly and in a way that minimizes impacts on our precious coastal environment,” said New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette.
The state is seeking proposals to survey wildlife and habitat before wind farm construction begins; make technical innovations in data collection and analysis; study fisheries sustainability and the social and economic impacts of offshore wind; identify and reduce the impact of offshore wind noise on marine life, and bird and bat abundance studies, among others.
Concerns about potential harm to the environment, marine life and birds have been among the reasons opponents of offshore wind have cited to try to stop the nascent industry in the United States. On Wednesday, one of the most vocal groups, New Jersey’s Protect Our Coast, used the Nantucket incident to renew its call to end the offshore wind industry, calling the incident “completely unacceptable.”
Jason Ryan, a spokesman for the American Clean Energy Association, said the wind industry is committed to safe and reliable operations, adding that it follows “rigorous, regulated standards and stringent environmental protocols.”
Referring to the Nantucket incident, he said: “Wind power is one of the safest forms of energy generation, and millions of people around the world live and work near wind farms without any problems. This type of incident is extremely rare and there have been no injuries. We are working closely with our member companies and are confident that the situation will be resolved quickly.”