Lightning strikes fractured Vineyard Wind turbine

The same Vineyard Wind turbine that fractured last summer appears to have been struck by lightning on Thursday, though it’s unclear how much of the turbine was damaged. 

Vineyard Wind officials said they have inspected the turbine, and confirmed that it appeared to have been struck; they are still assessing the damage with its construction contractor, GE Vernova. 

“This was contained to the damaged blade, and based on current information, there is no impact to the nacelle or turbine structure,” the statement reads. “Vineyard Wind deployed both aerial and maritime resources, and based on current observations, there is no indication of debris from this event.”

Vineyard Wind and GE Vernova announced plans in August to remove debris and the damaged blade root. However, the New Bedford Light reported that “the root remained attached to the turbine hub,” for unclear reasons. Vineyard Wind officials said GE Vernova plans to remove and replace the damaged blade in May.

E&E News, a Politico publication, reported that Vineyard Wind is expected to be completed this year despite the Trump administration’s moves to disrupt the offshore wind industry. 

The U.S. Coast Guard is aware of the situation, but is not investigating the incident. 

“The U.S. Coast Guard has no active involvement in response efforts,” Diolanda Caballero, Coast Guard spokesperson, said. “We remain in contact with Vineyard Wind, and as of Sunday afternoon, there are no reported navigational hazards or Coast Guard enforcement actions related to this incident.”

There have also been no warnings to mariners from the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center regarding debris from an offshore wind turbine last week in the southeastern New England sector as of Monday morning. 

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, the agency that investigated Vineyard Wind’s broken blade incident, did not respond to a request for comment. 

Vineyard Wind noted in its construction and operations plan that “lightning protection” would be installed on all of its electrical systems, including wind turbine generators. 

Damage from lightning strikes is “the single largest cause of unplanned downtime in wind turbines, and the most common insurance claim filed by wind farm owners,” according to DNV, an international assurance and risk management company based in Norway. 

While lightning striking wind turbines can be a common occurrence, German technology company Schunk Group notes that if the lightning protection in a wind turbine fails, it can cause damage in the electrical control system, and even cause the rotor blades to snap off. And a fire can “easily start.”

The Nantucket Current quoted an email from U.S. Coast Guard Command Duty Officer Meghan Manship that said that the turbine “was struck by lightning on 27FEB25, caught fire, and detached … F/V Madison Kate is o/s, and reported no signs of debris.” 

Whether there was an actual fire remains uncertain. Caballero confirmed that while there was a report of a fire, she couldn’t confirm if it actually happened, since no one from the Coast Guard was in the area.

Updated with additional comments from Diolanda Caballero regarding reports of a fire and more information about the Vineyard Wind project.