Judge orders GE Vernova to stick with Vineyard Wind project

A Massachusetts judge has temporarily blocked turbine manufacturer GE Vernova from pulling out of the Vineyard Wind offshore project, ruling that replacing the company at this late stage would be “fanciful,” according to an AP report.

Suffolk County Superior Court Judge Peter Krupp on April 17 granted Vineyard Wind a preliminary injunction preventing GE Renewables (a GE Vernova unit) from terminating its contracts and ceasing work effective April 28.

The dispute centers on a $1.3-billion turbine supply and service agreement for the 806 MW project’s 62 GE Haliade-X 13 MW turbines. GE Vernova says Vineyard Wind owes it roughly $300–360 million for completed work. Vineyard Wind counters that GE remains liable for far more — up to $545 million (part of $853 million in total claimed damages) — stemming from the July 2024 blade failure caused by manufacturing defects at GE’s Gaspé, Canada plant.

Judge Krupp sided with Vineyard Wind, finding it “likely entitled” to withhold payments under the contract to offset GE’s liability. He wrote that the project is at a “critical phase” and losing its principal contractor “would set the project back immeasurably and threaten [its] financing.” “To pretend that [Vineyard Wind] could go out and hire one or more contractors to finish the installation and troubleshoot and modify [GE’s] proprietary design without [GE’s] specialized knowledge is fanciful,” the judge stated.

GE had argued that it was entitled to terminate because Vineyard Wind withheld payments far exceeding the contract’s 5% cap on disputed amounts (roughly $65 million). Vineyard Wind countered — and the judge agreed for purposes of the injunction — that the contract expressly allows broader set-off of amounts GE owes the developer, discharging its payment obligations.

In a statement, GE Vernova said it “stand[s] by our compliance with contractual obligations and our performance, including recently completing installation of all 62 wind turbines,” while it evaluates next steps.

Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, is located about 15 miles (24 km) south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. All turbines are now installed, with the project partially generating power and expected to reach full operations soon. It became the first large-scale US offshore wind farm to begin delivering electricity during the current Trump administration.

The July 2024 blade failure, which GE attributed to insufficient bonding in manufacturing (not a design flaw), led to a widespread replacement program, multi-month delays, and debris washing up on Nantucket beaches during tourist season.

Judge Krupp has scheduled a May 1 hearing on GE’s motion to compel arbitration under the contract’s Dispute Adjudication Board process. That hearing will address whether the core payment and termination disputes must go to arbitration rather than court, and could set the stage for a speedy trial if arbitration is not ordered.