January 2, 2024 — 2024 was going to be the year when the U.S. made a small but significant dent in reaching its goals of bringing offshore wind power to the nation’s electric grid.
Offshore wind did reach major milestones in 2024, with “steel in the water” at four projects. But due to an unexpected failure at sea off the Massachusetts coast, the country remains under one gigawatt of operating offshore wind power — a long way from its 2030 goal.
The expected 800-megawatt contribution from Vineyard Wind 1 didn’t happen, in large part due to a catastrophic blade failure over the summer that made headlines and brought the 62-turbine project and its partial power generation to a halt.
Despite this incident — and the re-election of Donald Trump, a vocal critic of offshore wind — the industry celebrated breakthroughs and earned significant investments this year, both locally and nationally. In Massachusetts, officials remain bullish.
Vineyard Wind turbine blade fails
Months after celebrating first power, Vineyard Wind 1 came to a halt in July when a blade that was undergoing testing snapped offshore, sending foam and debris to coastal towns.
The federal government for months suspended most construction and operations, significantly stalling construction at the site, which was supposed to be completed in 2024. The Light visited Vineyard Wind by boat on Nov. 20 and found that only a third of the planned turbines were completed. Vineyard Wind removed blades from at least two turbines, but was permitted to install one set of blades in December.
The federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), continues to investigate the incident and has yet to release its findings to the public. It has not yet allowed Vineyard Wind 1 to resume generating power.