Lightning strikes Vineyard Wind's broken offshore wind blade

In what appears to be a remarkable coincidence, lightning apparently struck the remains of the Vineyard Wind turbine blade that crumbled into the ocean last summer.

No one was injured and no debris have been found in the water, according to Vineyard Wind, the company constructing the 62-turbine project near Martha’s Vineyard. In a statement, the company said it “deployed both aerial and maritime resources” and saw no evidence that any other part of the turbine was damaged.

It's unclear when the lightning hit, but the company said it found “preliminary evidence" indicating a possible strike while conducting a routine inspection of the turbine. The U.S. Coast Guard said it was notified by Vineyard Wind on Thursday.

Petty Officer Lyric Jackson said “there are no navigational hazards to report." She added that the Coast Guard is “standing by” and is in communication with Vineyard Wind.

The incident comes at a fraught time for the offshore wind industry. President Trump ordered a stop to all leasing and permitting for offshore wind development on his first day in office, and a review of all existing leases.

Vineyard Wind, an 800 megawatt project, is one of four large-scale offshore wind projects currently under construction along the East Coast. If completed — perhaps as early as this year — it will be capable of generating enough electricity to power about 400,000 homes in Massachusetts.

The blade in question, located on turbine AW-38, made national headlines in July when it unexpectedly broke and sent fiberglass and foam into the water. Debris eventually washed up on Nantucket, where it caused temporary beach closures and public outcry.

The federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement ordered Vineyard Wind to stop sending power to the grid from its operational turbines and to halt all construction activity pending an investigation.

The company that made and installed the blade, Boston-based GE Vernova, ultimately concluded the problem stemmed from a “manufacturing error” in its factory in Canada.

In the waning days of the Biden administration, the federal government lifted the work and power stoppage and ordered Vineyard Wind to replace any blades that had been manufactured in Canada.

At the time of the lighting strike last week, a small portion of the broken 351-foot blade remained attached to the turbine. GE Vernovaplanned to remove it in May.

It’s not uncommon for lightning to strike wind turbines — they're large metal objects rising hundreds of feet above the ocean. For that reason, they are designed to withstand such strikes; Vineyard Wind’s federally approved construction and operation plan said all turbines and offshore substations would be equipped with “lightning protection.”

Though damage from the incident appeared minimal, offshore wind opponents were quick to criticize the company.

Jerry Leeman, founder and CEO of the Maine-based New England Fishermen's Stewardship Association, accused Vineyard Wind of trying to cover up the lighting strike — a statement for which there is no evidence. Vineyard Wind reported the incident to the Coast Guard, which has maintained an active safety perimeter around the turbine since the earlier incident in July.

“Vineyard Wind’s lack of transparency around the structural integrity of its mammoth wind turbines is deeply frustrating to fishermen,” Leeman said in a statement.

In a report published over the weekend, the Nantucket Current quoted an email from U.S. Coast Guard Command Duty Officer Meghan Manship who wrote that the turbine "was struck by lightning on 27FEB25, caught fire, and detached.” She also said a fishing boat was nearby and “reported no sign of debris."

Vineyard Wind’s statement makes no mention of a fire. When contacted by WBUR, Jackson with the Coast Guard said that this "initial report" proved to be wrong and that the district "clarified" the information in a later statement. She reiterated that there was "no fire, no debris and no navigational hazard."