A Massachusetts judge has ruled that GE Vernova must continue its work on the Vineyard Wind project, the largest offshore wind farm in New England, despite a payment dispute. The decision was made by Suffolk County Superior Court Judge Peter Krupp, who declined to lift an injunction requiring GE Vernova to continue its involvement in the project.

Legal Dispute Over Payment

The dispute arose after GE Vernova, a turbine supplier, threatened to terminate its agreement with Vineyard Wind due to an alleged non-payment of $360 million. Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Spain’s Iberdrola and Denmark’s Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, argued that GE’s withdrawal would jeopardize the commercial viability of the 806-megawatt project, which includes 62 turbines.

Judge Krupp upheld his previous ruling from April, stating that Vineyard Wind was contractually allowed to pursue its legal dispute in court. He emphasized that the project relies on GE’s expertise to bring the turbines to operational capacity, and that allowing GE and its employees to leave would threaten the project’s financing.

Project Completion and Future Steps

GE Vernova has appealed the injunction but also requested the case be sent to arbitration, citing recent announcements by Vineyard Wind and state officials that the wind farm is nearly complete. However, Judge Krupp noted that these announcements did not change the project’s dependency on GE’s involvement.

In a statement, GE Vernova expressed pride in its work on the project and reiterated its contractual right to terminate agreements for non-payment. Vineyard Wind did not respond to requests for comment.

The Vineyard Wind project, located off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, began initial operations in February. The project faced delays after a turbine blade failure in 2024, which required replacements due to a widespread manufacturing flaw.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.