Bad Wind

An ill wind continues to blow in Nantucket:

Remember the story of Don Quixote? He was a crazy man who decided he was a gallant knight of old. In one part of the novel, Don Quixote attacks windmills because he sees them as threats — it’s where we get the idiom “tilting at windmills.” Nowadays, the windmills are tilting back at the people who think that they’re a great option for energy. And residents of areas near these windmills are fighting mad. “The federal government has ordered an offshore wind developer off Nantucket Island, a popular summer tourist destination in Massachusetts, to suspend operations after parts of a damaged turbine blade washed up on the beaches,” the Associated Press reported last week. Vineyard Wind, the company responsible for the turbines offshore, has cleaned up six truckloads of debris. GE Vernova, which manufactures the turbines, is also assisting in the efforts. Local officials are considering options for dealing with the situation, including legal action. “In response to the ongoing crisis on the island, the Nantucket Select Board will meet in executive session on Tuesday to discuss “potential litigation in connection with Vineyard Wind” regarding recovery costs associated with the blade failure, according to an online meeting notice,” reports Boston.com. Further meetings are taking place. “Representatives from GE and Vineyard Wind will give an update at Wednesday’s regularly scheduled Select Board meeting,” continues the Boston.com report. “The engineering firm Aracadis is also expected to complete an environmental assessment soon, which they will present at the Wednesday meeting.”

Going green is literally a dirty business...