Three events on Wednesday highlighted the uneven progress of the offshore wind industry in the northeastern United States. They included the launch of a major project in New York, research to prevent environmental damage in New Jersey and the temporary closure of a wind farm in Massachusetts after a Broken turbine blade washed ashore on a famous beach.
The federal government has ordered the operator of a wind farm off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, to cease operations while cleanup efforts continue after a wind turbine blade fell into the water, broke apart and washed up on the beaches of the popular vacation spot.
Vineyard Wind said Wednesday that it had removed 15 cubic yards of debris, enough to fill more than six truckloads, along with several larger pieces that had washed ashore. The debris consisted mostly of nontoxic fiberglass fragments, ranging from small pieces to larger sections and typically green or white in color.
Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, has increased its beach patrols to 35 people to search for and remove debris.
“We are making progress in recovering the debris and mobilizing even more resources on the island to advance the cleanup as quickly as possible,” company CEO Klaus Moeller said in a statement. “The public can be confident that we will be here as long as it takes to get the job done.”
Also on Wednesday, the groundbreaking ceremony for the start of construction of New York’s largest offshore wind project, Sunrise Wind, a 924-megawatt project by Danish wind developer OrstedOnce completed, the project will produce enough clean energy to power approximately 600,000 New York City homes.
It will be located about 50 kilometers east of Montauk, New York.
“We look forward to building New York’s largest offshore wind project and 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 Americas of Orsted.
Orsted was well advanced in the permitting process for the construction of two offshore wind farms in New Jersey when the company abandoned both projects last October, arguing that they were no longer financially viable.
And New Jersey state authorities said Wednesday they would provide nearly $5 million for scientific research projects to document current environmental conditions in areas where wind farms are planned and to predict and prevent potential harm to the environment or wildlife.
New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said his state is “committed to advancing the science to ensure that offshore wind energy – a necessary part 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.”
The state is seeking proposals for wildlife and habitat surveys prior to wind farm construction, technical innovations in data collection and analysis, studying fisheries sustainability and the socioeconomic impacts of offshore wind energy, identifying and reducing the impacts of offshore wind noise on marine life, and bird and bat population studies, to name a few.
Concerns about potential harm to the environment, marine life and birds are among the reasons cited by opponents of offshore wind energy in their attempt to stop 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 for an end to the offshore wind energy industry, calling the incident “simply unacceptable.”
Jason Ryan, a spokesman for the American Clean Power Association, said the wind industry is committed to safe and reliable operations, adding that it adheres to “rigorous and regulated standards and strict environmental protocols.”
Referring to the Nantucket incident, he said: “Wind energy is one of the safest forms of energy production, and millions of people around the world live and work near wind farms without any problems. These types of incidents are extremely rare, and there were no injuries. We are working closely with our member companies and are confident that the situation will be resolved quickly.”