January 1, Nantucket Locals Slam Wind Farm Deal Weakness

Wyatt’s Take

• Nantucket residents say their leaders caved in to offshore wind developers.
• Fears grow after broken turbine littered beaches and only minimal demands were met.
• Folks feel left out and powerless as federal law ties local hands.

Nantucket neighbors argued their new deal with Vineyard Wind doesn’t protect them from past or future wind turbine failures. Only one of the Select Board’s fifteen demands was fully included in the recent agreement.

The agreement came soon after a judge tossed out a federal ban on new wind energy approvals for public lands, reopening the door for these massive ocean projects. Most of the town’s worries, especially over safety and repayment, were not addressed.

Last year, a 350-foot turbine blade broke off and washed up debris during peak tourist season, but it took three days for Vineyard Wind to tell officials what happened. Residents cheered when the Select Board demanded honest answers and firm rules in August.

“Since the immediate aftermath of the blade failure and since the last presidential election, Vineyard Wind’s leadership has essentially gone into hiding,” said Brook Mohr from the Nantucket Select Board at a press conference.

The new agreement only guarantees more meetings and updates—no money, and no actions if another blade bits the dust. Amy DiSibio from Ack 4 Whales, a local group, called it the town’s “second nothingburger” deal, similar to a weak 2020 deal that didn’t handle the impacts on the island’s historic views.

DiSibio added, “They keep telling us these agreements give us a seat at the table. We’ve heard a hundred times that it gives us leverage. They’ve signed away all their leverage. So it is beyond me why we’re doing this again.”

Nantucket must now let Vineyard Wind fix its own mistakes in project updates, but there’s no true enforcement if problems are ignored. Even previous rules were often left unenforced.

Meanwhile, offshore wind builds are spreading all along the coast. Hundreds more giant turbines are planned from Rhode Island to Virginia. Trump’s earlier pause on wind farm leasing was tossed last week when a judge sided with Biden’s energy policies, disappointing many hoping for protection from the projects.

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Wyatt Matters

In small towns across America, folks expect their voices to matter—especially when powerful outsiders show up with big promises and bigger risks. When local families feel brushed aside by both Washington and big business, it cuts deep. Standing up for safe communities and honest government isn’t just a Nantucket issue—it’s a battle every heartland town understands.