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Released July 15, 2025 | SUGAR LAND
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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The manufacturer of a turbine whose blade plummeted into the ocean last summer, causing the closure of popular Massachusetts beaches at the height of tourist season, has reached a settlement with Nantucket that will cover damages incurred by residents due to the event.
The Vineyard Wind 1 windfarm, located 15 miles south of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard and 35 miles from the Massachusetts mainland, is owned in a 50:50 joint venture by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (Copenhagen, Denmark) and Avangrid Incorporated (Orange, Connecticut). The facility will have 31 GE Vernova (Cambridge, Massachusetts) Haliade-X model turbines, each with a generating capacity of 13 megawatts (MW), which will result in aggregate generation of more than 400 MW upon completion. The windfarm, which has been under construction since late 2022, began providing some power to the regional grid last summer, although still not completely constructed.
However, construction and power generation ground to a halt on July 13, 2024, when one of the blades from a completed turbine fell into the sea, causing debris, largely greenish fiberglass and foam, to wash up on the beaches of parts on Nantucket Island, resulting in their closure during one of the busiest times of year while the cleanup got underway.
Construction was suspended while an investigation began to determine the cause of the blade failure. That process eventually yielded the fact that blades manufactured at GE Vernova's facility in Gaspé, Quebec, were defective. The U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) ordered that all blades manufactured at the Quebec facility be removed and that new blades used as replacements and in subsequent construction would not come from that particular plant, but rather from GE Vernova's facility in Cherbourg, France.
Days before the offshore wind-averse Trump administration took office, on January 17 of this year the BSEE lifted the work-suspension order that had been in place for six months. But the damage had been done, leaving Nantucket to recoup funds from GE Vernova for the economic harm caused by the beach closures.
Now, almost exactly one year after the event, the Town and County of Nantucket and GE Vernova have agreed on a settlement of $10.5 million to cover damages incurred from the blade failure. Nantucket will set up a Community Claims Fund, from which a third-party administrator will evaluate claims and issue payments.
While an attorney representing Nantucket told local media outlet The Inquirer and Mirror that the town couldn't disclose how the $10.5 million amount was determined, he did say that the community engaged three law firms, including at least one that specializes in environmental damage litigation, as well as a national financial advisory firm to help calculate the damages.
"This is a solid number to cover the community, and I'm very pleased with the results," board member Brooke Mohr said. "It was to both hold the industry accountable for an incident that's never happened before, and do so in a way that's meaningful enough to perhaps draw their attention to the need to prevent it from happening again."
However, some residents are expressing concern about the amount agreed upon. An opinion writer in the Nantucket Current on Sunday wrote: "The settlement is a mere pittance, not worthy of the event," suggesting the actual damages approached $50 million.
People who receive funds through the Community Claims Fund must waive their right to sue, but the settlement does not bar individuals or businesses from additional litigation if they choose not to participate in the fund, suggesting that a few more battles could lay in wait for GE Vernova. The Vineyard Wind joint venture of Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners is protected from lawsuits due to a contractual agreement between the companies, making GE Vernova responsible for financial penalties due to manufacturing defects.
The Vineyard Wind 1 project was intended to be the precursor to Vineyard Wind 2, a partner project in nearby waters that would have contributed a further 1,200 MW of power. However, developers shelved the project late last year when Connecticut pulled out of its agreement to purchase 400 MW of power from the project.
With construction resumed and blade replacements underway since January, Vineyard Wind 1 now is expected to be completed in the next few months. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
The Vineyard Wind 1 windfarm, located 15 miles south of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard and 35 miles from the Massachusetts mainland, is owned in a 50:50 joint venture by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (Copenhagen, Denmark) and Avangrid Incorporated (Orange, Connecticut). The facility will have 31 GE Vernova (Cambridge, Massachusetts) Haliade-X model turbines, each with a generating capacity of 13 megawatts (MW), which will result in aggregate generation of more than 400 MW upon completion. The windfarm, which has been under construction since late 2022, began providing some power to the regional grid last summer, although still not completely constructed.
However, construction and power generation ground to a halt on July 13, 2024, when one of the blades from a completed turbine fell into the sea, causing debris, largely greenish fiberglass and foam, to wash up on the beaches of parts on Nantucket Island, resulting in their closure during one of the busiest times of year while the cleanup got underway.
Construction was suspended while an investigation began to determine the cause of the blade failure. That process eventually yielded the fact that blades manufactured at GE Vernova's facility in Gaspé, Quebec, were defective. The U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) ordered that all blades manufactured at the Quebec facility be removed and that new blades used as replacements and in subsequent construction would not come from that particular plant, but rather from GE Vernova's facility in Cherbourg, France.
Days before the offshore wind-averse Trump administration took office, on January 17 of this year the BSEE lifted the work-suspension order that had been in place for six months. But the damage had been done, leaving Nantucket to recoup funds from GE Vernova for the economic harm caused by the beach closures.
Now, almost exactly one year after the event, the Town and County of Nantucket and GE Vernova have agreed on a settlement of $10.5 million to cover damages incurred from the blade failure. Nantucket will set up a Community Claims Fund, from which a third-party administrator will evaluate claims and issue payments.
While an attorney representing Nantucket told local media outlet The Inquirer and Mirror that the town couldn't disclose how the $10.5 million amount was determined, he did say that the community engaged three law firms, including at least one that specializes in environmental damage litigation, as well as a national financial advisory firm to help calculate the damages.
"This is a solid number to cover the community, and I'm very pleased with the results," board member Brooke Mohr said. "It was to both hold the industry accountable for an incident that's never happened before, and do so in a way that's meaningful enough to perhaps draw their attention to the need to prevent it from happening again."
However, some residents are expressing concern about the amount agreed upon. An opinion writer in the Nantucket Current on Sunday wrote: "The settlement is a mere pittance, not worthy of the event," suggesting the actual damages approached $50 million.
People who receive funds through the Community Claims Fund must waive their right to sue, but the settlement does not bar individuals or businesses from additional litigation if they choose not to participate in the fund, suggesting that a few more battles could lay in wait for GE Vernova. The Vineyard Wind joint venture of Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners is protected from lawsuits due to a contractual agreement between the companies, making GE Vernova responsible for financial penalties due to manufacturing defects.
The Vineyard Wind 1 project was intended to be the precursor to Vineyard Wind 2, a partner project in nearby waters that would have contributed a further 1,200 MW of power. However, developers shelved the project late last year when Connecticut pulled out of its agreement to purchase 400 MW of power from the project.
With construction resumed and blade replacements underway since January, Vineyard Wind 1 now is expected to be completed in the next few months. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
