The town of Nantucket, Massachusetts, has reached a $10.5 million settlement with GE Vernova following a wind turbine blade failure that scattered debris across its shoreline during the summer tourist season in 2024.
The incident occurred on July 13, 2024, at the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore project. Nantucket officials said the blade failure released foam, fiberglass, and other materials that littered local beaches, entered the water table, and settled on the ocean floor, prompting a months-long cleanup effort involving members of the community.
Under the terms of the agreement, the town will establish a community claims fund to address economic losses from the incident. An independent third-party administrator will be appointed to assess and manage claims filed by affected local businesses, the town said.
“Offshore wind may bring benefits, but it also carries risks – to ocean health, to historic landscapes, and to the economies of coastal communities like Nantucket,” said Brooke Mohr, a select board member and former chair. “Nantucket [is] known worldwide as an environmental and cultural treasure.”
GE Vernova attributed the failure to a manufacturing deviation and has since removed other blades produced at the same facility in Quebec. The company said it is committed to safety and resolution efforts.
“We are pleased to have reached a final settlement agreement with the town of Nantucket to provide compensation for any impacted local businesses,” a GE Vernova spokesperson said.
The town’s legal counsel for offshore wind matters, Greg Werkheiser of Cultural Heritage Partners, noted that while federal law limits the influence of local governments in offshore wind project approvals, communities retain rights regarding the safe operation of such projects.
Nantucket was also represented by the law firms KP Law and Wyche, along with damages consultants at Stout.
Vineyard Wind 1, jointly developed by Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, is the first commercial-scale offshore wind project in the United States.
