Vineyard Wind sues GE Renewables to keep turbine services in place

Vineyard Wind, which is building an offshore wind farm off Massachusetts, filed a lawsuit against GE Renewables seeking to force the turbine maker to continue providing services and maintenance, according to court filings described by the Associated Press.

The developer, Vineyard Wind, said the dispute is tied to a July 2024 incident in which a turbine blade failure began washing fiberglass fragments onto Nantucket beaches during the summer tourist season, and to the knock-on effects for project operations.

In its complaint filed Wednesday in Massachusetts, Vineyard Wind said GE Vernova’s performance during and after the blade collapse has already significantly damaged the project, and that letting the contractor walk away now would cause irreparable harm, the AP reported.

GE Vernova has said it plans to terminate the turbine-services and maintenance contracts at the end of April and that the company remains entitled to end those agreements because Vineyard Wind has not paid, the AP said. GE Vernova also said it believes Vineyard Wind owes it $300 million for work the company performed.

Vineyard Wind countered that GE Vernova still owes about $545 million to make up for the “catastrophic” blade collapse in July 2024 and the delays that followed, according to the AP account.

The blade failure and its aftermath became a broader public issue for coastal communities. Vineyard Wind said GE Vernova agreed to pay $10.5 million in a settlement to compensate island businesses that suffered losses after fiberglass fragments washed ashore in July 2024, the AP reported.

The dispute also traces to the extent of turbine work that followed the failure. Vineyard Wind said that when the problem emerged, GE Vernova stated that insufficient bonding at one of its Canada factories was responsible and that there was no indication of a design flaw. Vineyard Wind said 68 of the 72 blades installed at the time were removed and replaced, and it said that change set the project behind nearly two years.

Craig Gilvarg, identified by the AP as a spokesman for Vineyard Wind, said the lawsuit is meant to ensure GE Renewables fulfills its obligations, including to “the people of Massachusetts and New England who are relying on the significant power and economic benefits this project is already providing.” He also said Vineyard Wind expected to provide $3.7 billion in savings to electric customers over the life of the project.

GE Vernova responded that it remains committed to safety and stands by its performance and contractual obligations, saying it would defend its position through the legal process, the AP reported.

The legal fight comes as Vineyard Wind moves closer to full operation. Construction finished in March, the AP reported, making it the first project to reach that stage during Donald Trump’s time in office. Vineyard Wind had been providing power to the grid for more than a year as additional turbines were completed and it is expected to reach full operations in the coming months.

Vineyard Wind’s lawsuit also ties into the project’s political history during the Trump administration, which the AP said has been particularly critical after the blade failure. Vineyard Wind was among five major East Coast offshore wind projects that the administration halted construction on days before Christmas, citing national security concerns, though developers and states sued and federal judges allowed all five projects to resume, with the judges concluding the government did not show the risk was so imminent that construction must halt.

The AP said Vineyard Wind is a joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, with the project located about 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. The project includes 62 turbines intended to generate a total of 800 megawatts, enough clean electricity for about 400,000 homes, the AP reported.

A hearing is scheduled for Thursday, the AP reported.