Balancing Renewable Energy with Nantucket Values

To the editor: In response to community concerns over the SouthCoast Wind project, the Nantucket Select Board held a public forum on November 19, 2024 to discuss the mitigation proposal put forth by SouthCoast Wind and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. SouthCoast Wind is currently in the process of receiving the permits required to begin construction plans for the 199-square mile farm just 20 miles south of Nantucket that is projected to generate enough clean renewable electricity to power over a million homes. While wind turbines provide a clean alternative to fossil fuel based energy, there are negative impacts on communities located nearby, such as the small island of Nantucket. Nantucket groups such as “ACK 4 Whales” have concerns about the noise from turbine construction and operation disrupting whale electromagnetic fields and threatening their communication and health. Other Nantucket residents and visitors have spoken out about their disapproval of this impending new project, fearing impaired ocean views and threats to the island’s tourism-based economy. However, this is not the first instance of wind farms off of Nantucket.

Just this summer, the Vineyard Wind project, another wind farm located off the Nantucket coastline, suffered a setback for the wind turbine industry when one of their turbines had a blade failure on July 13th, 2024. The blade plummeted into the ocean, spreading harmful materials into the water and onto the Nantucket beaches, some of which I came across myself. Fishermen discovered pieces of turbines drifting in the ocean, and beachgoers were in danger of being injured by sharp fiberglass littering the sand. Beaches had to be closed, negatively impacting tourism and the Nantucket community as a whole.

This failure doesn’t imply that wind farms are inherently negative, but rather that they require more serious regulation to be successful, especially if another wind farm in the vicinity of Nantucket, such as the SouthCoast project, is going to begin construction. After the Vineyard Wind incident, the company formulated an Incident Response and Action Plan by August 9th and the project paused some construction efforts, removed the faulty blade remains, and cleaned up debris. As of October 23rd, Vineyard Wind announced an update on the implementation of their Action Plan that stated they would only resume operations and power production once they had made significant progress including completing a more comprehensive environmental analysis, conducting extensive quality checks, removing insufficient blades, and removing seabed debris from the July incident.

Just days ago, at the SouthCoast Wind Public Forum, the discussion revolved around how to respond to BOEM and SouthCoast’s mitigation offer of $150,000 and a historic property survey to appease parties opposing the wind farm. Rather than accepting this offer, I think the most effective path forward is to advocate for more stringent regulations. With climate change altering our planet, the ways we must adapt are shifting too, so attempting to eliminate wind farms as a valuable source of clean energy is not the answer.

Vineyard Wind’s promises to improve environmental safety and quality measurements of their project through their action plan is a step in the right direction. Rather than mitigation offers, we need more serious regulation for all wind farms, which would include both Vineyard Wind and SouthCoast, thus protecting Nantucket. This could look like implementing large fines for blade failures to instigate stronger construction quality, longer testing periods before turbine installation in our oceans, requiring wind farms to be built at a specified distance from federally recognized historic properties like Nantucket, and lowering the maximum sound production levels allowed during operation and construction to appease concerns over wildlife impacts. These regulations hold the possibility of reducing impacts on wildlife in Nantucket’s harbors, minimizing risk of future blade failures, and protecting Nantucket’s tourism appeal as a National Historic Landmark.

Wind farms can have a successful and safe future in renewable energy without surrounding communities suffering as a trade-off. Citizens of Nantucket, I propose that you watch the recording of the SouthCoast Wind Public Forum to educate yourself on this topic and spread awareness of both the benefits and drawbacks of offshore wind energy. So that the drawbacks can be combated, use your voice and contact the Nantucket Select Board at communications@nantucket-ma.gov and your Senator Julian Cyr at julian.cyr@masenate.gov. Encourage them to speak against BOEM and SouthCoast’s current mitigation offer, and instead propose more serious regulation like the ideas mentioned above to minimize the negative impacts of the SouthCoast project and the wind farm industry as a whole.

Beatty Cathey