Why Is Nantucket Suing SouthCoast Wind But Not Vineyard Wind?

To the editor: ACK for Whales is encouraged by the Town of Nantucket’s legal action against government agencies for the illegal permitting of SouthCoast Wind. The Town of Nantucket has finally conceded that the impacts of offshore wind projects, about which ACK for Whales has been sounding the alarm for years, are real, worth fighting for, and are integral to the essence our island community.

SouthCoast Wind was able to secure its rushed Record of Decision in the waning hours of the Biden Administration, despite incomplete environmental protection assurances. The Town of Nantucket is right to hold the federal government accountable for ensuring important environmental laws are followed.

Nantucket residents’ displeasure with offshore wind projects off our shores is apparent and growing. Therefore, appealing the approval of SouthCoast Wind is consistent with our community’s overwhelming opinion and an important step in the right direction for the Town. SouthCoast Wind’s 1066 ft tall turbines will tower over the already alarming Vineyard Wind 853 ft tall turbines, and will extend eastwardly from the VW project currently under construction.

The arguments the Town of Nantucket is making in their filing with respect to SouthCoast Wind are essentially the same arguments the Town could have used in a filing against the Vineyard Wind project, and the next 4 projects that fall under the Good Neighbor Agreement (GNA). However, as signers of the GNA, the Town terminated its rights as a consulting party to all 5 Vineyard Offshore projects, abdicated its role as advocate for the citizens of this special place and instead has agreed to proclaim support for all of the Vineyard Offshore projects.

The inconsistencies between the arguments against the SouthCoast Wind project and the advocacy in favor of the Vineyard Wind projects highlight a dilemma in which it appears the Town finds itself.

The diametrically oppositional statements the Town makes between projects included in the Good Neighbor Agreement (Vineyard Wind, New England Wind, etc) and the projects that are not included (SouthCoast, for one) should be carefully studied and understood by everyone. It seems the predicament the Town now essentially faces is analogous to making the case that chugging Grey Goose vodka will kill you, but guzzling Tito’s vodka is healthy.

Everyone should also contemplate the situation we have right now: 

1. A Vineyard Wind project that has “broken the seal” and lowered the environmental standard for all future projects off Nantucket.

2. Shockingly, neither height nor size restrictions for turbines to mitigate visual impacts on Nantucket are included in the Good Neighbor Agreement.

3. Equally as distressing is the omission of any restrictions on the number of turbines in the GNA.

4. Vineyard Wind turbines currently under construction that are 40% taller than what was proposed at the time of the GNA negotiations.

5. Dozens of turbines in full view by day (unless foggy) that open the door for more than 750 turbines down the road.

6. Turbines in full view by night (unless foggy) with blinking lights that interrupt our sunsets and dark skies. *ADLS has been misrepresented as a promise that our dark skies will be preserved. ADLS, even if miraculously fully implemented, will not mitigate marine safety lighting that must ALWAYS be present.

7. At least 60 currently installed high-risk blades, with probable flaws that have never been adequately tested. Pending replacement blades also will not have been adequately tested.

8. The Town attorney's warning that future blade failures should be expected, as failures are common in the industry.

9. No financial assurance that Vineyard Wind has adequate funds to execute major clean ups, nor for decommissioning.

10. No plans or communication systems to rectify major pollution events, such as expected future blade failures.

11. Destroyed views of an unobstructed and ancient horizon, upon which our tourism-based economy depends.

12. Risks to important shorebirds that contribute to our ecosystem and tourism.

13. Perpetual construction vessel traffic, maintenance vessels, helicopter traffic and construction lighting.

14. And most importantly within ACK for Whales’ purview, additional stresses on whales. This includes the critically endangered North Atlantic, Right whale, an apex creature upon which our ocean health relies.

If the Town of Nantucket truly means to put its best foot forward in protecting our island, it will reject the Good Neighbor Agreement and file a similar action against Vineyard Wind, a company that has proven to be a bad neighbor. As stated by members of the Town’s own select board, Nantucket has been “misled”. The much-worse-than-presented visual impacts, the destruction from the July 13, 2024 blade explosion, the subsequent February 27, 2025 lightning strike and the poor responses from Vineyard Wind with respect to all make it abundantly clear that Nantucket is being harmed by the GNA.

We continue to invite the Town of Nantucket to join us in our legal battles against Vineyard Wind, New England Wind and any further action upon which we embark going forward.

Sincerely,
Vallorie Oliver, President ACK for Whales
Veronica Bonnet
Amy DiSibio

This message was originally sent to the Select Board and town administration staff.