May 31, 2023 — A lawsuit filed with hopes of stopping construction of Vineyard Wind 1, expected to begin installing turbines soon in waters about 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, was recently dismissed from the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
Brought to court in August 2021 by Nantucket Residents Against Turbines – which also goes by ACKRATS – the suit was filed primarily out of concern for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, as well as other marine animals and the marine ecosystem, in the offshore wind development area designated in federal waters on the outer continental shelf. The Nantucket residents also cited concern about impacts on Nantucket’s historic landmark status.
Touted as the nation’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, Vineyard Wind, under development by Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, is on track to generate 800-megawatts of electricity annually, powering more than 400,000 homes, starting later this year. Plans call for 62 General Electric Haliade-X turbines, spaced 1 nautical mile apart.