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NEW BEDFORD — On a warm September day, Sonia Brito stood on a platform more than 200 feet high, securing a “gripper” atop a wind turbine tower with the help of a few of her millwright and ironworker brothers. It’s something they’ve done dozens of times to ready the towers to be grabbed by a crane, placed onto barges and shipped to sea.
The staging terminal, previously packed with blades, nacelles and towers for Vineyard Wind, has grown sparse, a result of a steady workflow during summer’s prime seafaring conditions — and a slowdown, workers say, of international shipments amid the Trump administration’s tariffs.
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A Portuguese immigrant who grew up in New Bedford, Brito, 22, says she feels lucky to have happened upon an opportunity like Vineyard Wind. It has allowed her to work in her hometown and build a project that she thinks will have positive impacts for her city and the country’s climate future.
But since the federal government abruptly halted construction at Empire Wind for one month in the spring, and then Revolution Wind in August, workers supporting the buildout of offshore wind in New England have grown worried about the industry’s future — and theirs.
“Every new update is definitely brought up at work,” said Brito of the slew of actions that the Trump administration has taken since January. “At this point, we’re so far along, it doesn’t seem to scare anyone anymore. I have my own internal thoughts, that I hope [Trump] just leaves us alone.”
As of last week, Vineyard Wind had 10 “loadouts” to go, union workers told The Light. This means 10 more barge shipments containing three blades, two towers, and one nacelle (though some transits in recent months have had different combinations of parts, or some missing).
This also means that about 52 of Vineyard Wind’s 62 turbines are already in the water, up from about 40 two months ago. Satellite images reviewed by The Light, which capture the project’s expansive white blades popping against the atmospheric view of the Atlantic, also show about 52 towers (most with blades, but some without) are installed.
What this figure doesn’t capture, however, is how many more blades must be removed and replaced as a consequence of the July 2024 blade failure. The new replacement blades are coming from a French factory. Foreign-flagged ships have made three blade deliveries to the Port of New Bedford since August.
Joel Stocker, a retired teacher and GIS-enthusiast based in Connecticut, has been building his own progress map of the site with the help of satellite tracking. Based on Stocker’s map, at least 10 turbines have had their blades replaced. Along with new turbine installations, that amounts to at least 35 fully installed turbines.
Expediting Vineyard Wind’s blade removal and replacement work has been a second jack-up turbine installation vessel, Wind Pace. This week, vessel trackers showed it operating near a turbine marked by Stocker as requiring blade removal.
Meanwhile, the Sea Installer, the main installation vessel, was operating in the southern portion of the lease, where several locations still require full turbines.
Vineyard Wind did not provide an updated figure before publication on how many turbines are sending power. As of late July, 17 turbines were delivering power, per the project’s parent company, Iberdrola.
Using federal data, The Light previously calculated the project put out enough energy in April, June and July to power about 33,000 homes.
“It’s basically all political”
Labor unions have become a prominent voice, at press conferences and in court filings, in the fight back against the Trump administration’s clampdown on the industry.
Less loud, but also speaking out, are commercial fishermen, who some would see as an unlikely ally to the wind industry. Some fishermen oppose offshore wind and are suing the federal government, or backing coalitions that are suing it, over its approvals of wind projects. But several New Bedford vessels contract with Vineyard Wind and Revolution Wind, employing captains and crew who have supplemented their fishing income with work on the projects.
“It’s basically all political,” said John Linnell, owner of Fleet King and Fleet Queen, both of which were working on the Revolution Wind project before its four-week shutdown in August and September. “It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.”
On Sept. 22, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration’s Aug. 22 stop-work order on Revolution Wind, allowing construction to resume.
After the stop-work order hit, Linnell’s vessels were re-assigned to assist on Sunrise Wind, another Orsted project situated in the same region as Revolution Wind. But if the government “doesn’t straighten this out,” he said earlier this month, he’d consider selling one of his boats.
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Each of his vessels goes out about once per month for a 10-day stint, comparable to a scalloping trip, but requiring a different type of work entirely. Overall, wind work over the last few years has been more consistent, and accounted for about 70% of his income, Linnell estimates.
“It’s been a good fill-in. Most of the guys doing it are very happy,” he said. “In this economy, it was a great opportunity… It’s a business. If they were offering, we took.”
Chris Melendez, a millwright with Local 1121, started working at New Bedford’s Marine Commerce Terminal for Vineyard Wind last year. Like his peers working on a wind farm, he underwent specialized training — including how to escape a helicopter that’s underwater and how to work at heights.
“It does weigh on us. We do have those conversations,” Melendez, who lives in Providence, said. “Are they coming for us next? Are they going to be able to stop it? Are they going to let us finish it, or are we going to be able to work on the next one?”
According to a recent court filing by labor coalition Climate Jobs Massachusetts, one subset of union labor, Ironworkers, have worked more than 97,000 hours for Vineyard Wind.
“Unless President Trump’s Memorandum is struck down and/or the pause rescinded, the offshore wind industry’s significant, positive, and direct economic impact on Massachusetts building and construction trades union’s memberships — and the Commonwealth — will be lost,” the coalition wrote.
Jeff Plaisted, business agent for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 223, which covers Southeastern Massachusetts, said they have the most to lose if the offshore wind industry does not move forward.
“Our workforce has always depended on energy production in one way or another and offshore wind was going to be the next thing to carry us,” he said.
He cited the proposed Brayton Point site, a former coal plant whose future as a cable plant to support renewable energy was celebrated by then-President Joe Biden on a scorching summer day in 2023. Fast forward to 2025 when, just days before Trump took office, the company announced it was abandoning the project, which would have created at least 200 jobs.
“It’s all just gone now. It’s been hard for me to accept where we could be if the election went the other way,” Plaisted said.
Future of projects after Vineyard Wind contested
As work for Vineyard Wind nears completion, it’s uncertain what’s next.
SouthCoast Wind is supposed to be the next wind developer lessee at the terminal. However, the start of construction work is delayed at least two years and its future is in peril due to President Trump’s day-one wind memo, its CEO has warned in court filings.
A second staging terminal in Salem, which would use union labor to build it, is also up in the air after the federal government cut more than $30 million in funding for the project.
“It’s sad even hearing about the delay” of SouthCoast Wind, Brito said. Just hours after she spoke with The Light, the federal government filed a motion in court that could open the door to revoking one of SouthCoast Wind’s permits.
This summer, SouthCoast Wind entered into an agreement with several labor unions, including Massachusetts Building Trades unions and the Southeastern Massachusetts Building Trades Council, to ensure the long-term operations and maintenance jobs go to local union workers, in addition to those already promised for project construction.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has also suggested it might revoke approval from the fully permitted New England Wind project, which plans to serve as the anchor tenant for the Salem terminal. In court, the government stated it will file its motion to remand a project permit in October.
“The real discouraging part is we put in a lot of time and effort and money into training this new workforce,” said Andy Benedetto, business representative at North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights Local 1121. “We thought that there would be projects like New England Wind 1, SouthCoast Wind, and Vineyard Wind 2. We thought these would all just go back to back to back, or close enough so we could continue to build the workforce and keep people in the workforce.
“Unfortunately, there’s a lot of question marks as to the future of the work,” he said.
Plaisted said that if state officials could “make a deal” with the federal government to ensure New England Wind 1 and SouthCoast Wind going forward, “it would be an economic boom for the region… We’d have full employment and travelers from other jurisdictions to fill jobs.”
“We’re in a position where… we’re stressed out about guys being out of work, where a year or more [ago], we were stressed about filling jobs,” he continued.
Brito says she thinks she’d find other work — be it at a wastewater treatment plant or a naval yard. Melendez echoed this, saying millwrights will be able to find work no matter what.
“But I like working wind. Everyone you talk to on these jobs sites — if I can chase wind, follow this industry, it’s good work,” Brito said. “This is something that is good for this community, in my opinion, and I think people need to realize there are people working these jobs. It’s not this imaginary battle they’re fighting against an industry.”
Email Anastasia E. Lennon at alennon@newbedfordlight.org.
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Best of luck to all these workers and hopefully they can find another line of employment. The facts show Wind will not be part of our future, the turbines are to costly, they don’t produce enough electricity, they increase our utility bills,and pollute our waters (anything you put in salt water rots).
Can anyone tell us how many NEW, actual, American jobs have been created by the OSW Industry? I’m not talking about existing union laborers assigned to the Marine Commerce Terminal or Longshoremen working during the build-out phase, but real new long-term jobs for US citizens and local people. How many ? ? ?
Vineyard Wind is currently employing 32 wind turbine service vessels crew members at an average $100,000+ per year.
Twice that in support services.
They give preference to locals (DEI).
The only significant employment at the Marine Commerce Terminal is wind related.
Longshoremen load and unload ships.
Over 80% of the people doing the hands on maintenance of the turbines are union members.
How are New England governors acting to intervene given the substantial economic stake and investment in new energy sources?
NE Wind will be highly profitable once built. Wind and solar are free sources of fuel that pay back construction costs. Wind sources the TX electric grid, and costs only a few cents per kwatt-hr to generate.
TX, the oil-capital state, is federally-subsidised by tens of billions per year of tax payer $, transferring blue state fed tax revenues to red states. WHY?
HOW much more federal $ is earmarked to subsidize the ever-profitable oil/gas industries?
Federal land gets leased to drill for oil/gas, yet feds are clawing back already-granted coastal leases for wind electricity. HOW and WHY is that legal??
OS Wind enables New England to exit imported energy bondage. The region must not knuckle under to obligate the public to a 50-year payback investment in new gas pipelines. Ever-rising energy prices are further driven skyward by competing demand with power and water-guzzling AI crypto data centers (this intensively-capitalised industry was exempted from paying MA taxes, thanks to Nov 2024 MA legislation. HOW did that miscalculation get passed???).
The earth can’t absorb another day, much less 50 years, of fuel-burning CO2.
Yes, we need to stop “Pollution”. The ocean absorption of CO2 and radiant heat has acidified and warmed waters to levels exceeding life-sustaining thresholds. Oil/gas/ coal burning is the largest problem.
Time to face facts over fracs (talking points spouted by vested energy interests).
thank you
Most of the labor force for wind has been outsourced very few residents are working in the wind industry, unlike the 2,000 jobs that where promised by this mayor. Solar energy using crystal’s is the new technology. Wind is old technology and inefficient.
The Crew Transfers Vessels alone have an annual payroll of $3.2+ million.
Those jobs require a Coast Guard license, reliability and drug screening.
How many residents have that?
When did the Mayor promise 2,000 jobs?
Wind is efficient, zero fuel costs, lower routine maintenance costs per KWH.
Almost no hydrocarbons to leak into the water.
Mr Hess this mayor four years ago while running for reelection promised 2,000 jobs for residents. I heard it coming out of his mouth. The cost for delivery would be astronomical. So that in itself makes for inefficiency.
Wind will prevail. The misinformation spread by the Trump administration to kill wind power has nothing to do with environmental issues. There is literally zero proof provided by scientists that wind is harmful, only a bunch of conjecture and propaganda created by the government since they have been bribed and paid vast amounts of money by the oil industry to eliminate their competition. For Trump everything is pay to play and he does not hide this, he brags about it. It is time for environmentally friendly energy production by wind and solar as the oil and gas industry pollution is literally destroying our climate and planet and changing our weather patterns. There is actual scientific research which supports that fact. It would be great if Mr. Rogers expanded his reading sources and educate himself instead of spreading false rumors that help none of us.
Your welcome to your opinion, but many articles even show Europe starting to trend away from wind, and when it comes to our Country’s Energy needs the facts clearly show it will always take a combination of Fossil Fuels, Hydro, and Nuclear, and other Clean Energy Technology (Solar) to fill our energy needs. So Merril Cyr I can say the same thing to you stop spreading bad information that helps none of us, this is only your opnion, and there are so many that do not feel the way you do.
Source?
Your welcome to your opinion, but as you see in all the comments that are posted, not everyone agrees with each other. Like many I feel Wind is not the answer and New Bedford should be using our harbor to draw private industry that will pay property taxes to help with New Bedford’s budget. As far as your request for sources, only ask for something that you will provide.
See Vineyard Wind local payroll.
It’s not opinion.
See the $3.2 millon + in in Crew Transfer Vessel salaries alone.
My Source?
My son.
He makes $700 a day (12 hours) plus meals, room service and laundry, no commute expense.
Plus profit sharing, bonus and 8% of salary in 401k at 20% company match, plus full health, dental and vision plus full annual health exam (includes free drug screenings).
The wind industry is private.
Their fuel suppliers, provision suppliers and boat repair yards pay property taxes.
Is wind keeping other private industry out of New Bedford?
Do you have names?
Please provide sources that wind is not a benefit to New Bedford.
Why is the focus always on high paying jobs leaving out the true environmental impact of all this greenwashed new deal?