Blade collapse, New York launch, New Jersey survey show uneven progress of offshore wind

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (AP) — 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 at a famous beach.

The federal government ordered a wind farm operator off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, to suspend operations while cleanup continued after a wind turbine blade fell into the water, broke off and washed up on the beaches of the popular vacation spot.

Vineyard Wind said Wednesday it 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, usually green or white.

Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, has increased its beach patrols to 35 people searching for and removing debris.

“We are making progress on debris recovery efforts and mobilizing even more resources on the island to accelerate the cleanup as quickly as possible,” company CEO Klaus Moeller said in a statement. as long as it takes to complete the work.”

Also on Wednesday, a groundbreaking ceremony was held to begin construction on New York’s largest offshore wind project, Sunrise Wind, a 924-megawatt project from Danish wind developer Orsted. Once completed, the project will provide enough clean energy to power approximately 600,000 homes in New York.

It will be located approximately 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of Montauk, New York.

“We look forward to building New York’s largest offshore wind project, helping the state meet its clean energy goals while strengthening the local offshore wind workforce and supply chain,” said David Hardy, Vice -executive president and CEO for the Americas at Orsted.

Orsted was at an advanced stage in the approval process for the construction of two offshore wind farms in New Jersey when it scrapped both projects last October, saying they were no longer financially viable.

And New Jersey officials said Wednesday 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 life. wild.

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

The state is seeking proposals to survey wildlife and habitats before wind farm construction begins; make technical innovations in data collection and analysis; study the sustainability of fishing and the socioeconomic impacts of offshore wind energy; identify and reduce the impact of offshore wind noise on marine life and studies on the abundance of birds and bats, among other things.

Concerns about potential harm to the environment, marine life and birds are among the reasons cited by opponents of offshore wind for trying to halt the nascent U.S. industry. 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 industry, calling the incident “simply unacceptable.”

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