Vineyard Wind Project Faces Uncertain Future After Lawsuit

New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell, in his recent State of the City address, blamed President Donald Trump's "personal hostility" to the wind industry for what could be the undoing of Vineyard Wind, Massachusetts' only offshore wind project.

Some opponents of the project might think that's a good thing, a feather in Trump's cap.

Lawsuit Against GE Raises Stakes

New Bedford Light's Anastasia E. Lennon recently reported that Vineyard Wind filed a federal suit against its turbine supplier, GE Renewables, alleging "GE is breaching its contract and planning to abandon the project by April 28 – during the critical final stage of coming fully online."

"If GE exits, Vineyard Wind says, the project 'will likely fail, leaving the windfarm stranded' and unable to reach the power output for Massachusetts residents that Vineyard promised in power contracts," according to the Light article.

The court filing alleges GE Renewables could threaten the "very survival" of the project should it walk away, adding that the project's failure would "leave behind a dormant wind farm graveyard."

Judge Temporarily Blocks GE Exit

Lennon reported that on Friday, April 17, a judge temporarily blocked GE from backing out of the Vineyard Wind deal.

"It is safe to assume that no major projects will advance in the 33 months remaining" in Trump's second term, Mitchell said. "In New Bedford, we play the long game."

"With the development of AI data centers, the U.S. is facing a growing electricity shortage in the coming years, and it will be necessary to build out more, ideally renewable, sources of electricity, and that includes offshore wind," Mitchell said.

READ MORE: New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell Delivers State of the City Address

"No other East Coast port has the infrastructure and a workforce better suited for the offshore wind industry, and we must be prepared to make the most of these advantages when federal policy changes," he said.

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Offshore Wind’s Future Remains Uncertain

Meanwhile, the City of Gloucester, Massachusetts, saw the removal of two previously decommissioned windmills on Saturday, April 18.

The Gloucester Times reported, "The two, which began spinning in early 2013, were operated under a charged plan that generated power and financial credits for the City of Gloucester through Equity Industrial Partners of Needham, which built the turbines, and utility giant National Grid."

"Under the agreement, the city received 20 percent of the proceeds from the electricity generated by the turbines," according to the paper.

Removal of the turbines will allow for further expansion of the Blackburn Business Center.