Ageing Vestas turbine in Washington State reported set for decommissioning after tower damage
EIR-0744Provisional entry. Confirmed: a 19-year-old Vestas turbine in Washington State was reported in July 2025 as too damaged to keep in service and set for decommissioning. Not yet known: the site, the utility, the date and cause of the damage, and whether anyone was hurt. Next update: 17 September 2026.
Wind Power Monthly reported in July 2025 that a 19-year-old Vestas wind turbine tower in Washington State, United States, was visibly damaged to the extent that the turbine would have to be decommissioned. The report states that a utility confirmed the decommissioning. The accessible part of the report does not name the wind farm or the utility, does not give the date the damage occurred, and does not state the cause. Whether anyone was injured is not reported. This entry is based on a single paywalled report and will be updated if further detail is published.
Not reported. The source does not state whether fatigue, a weather event or another mechanism caused the tower damage.
- Visible tower damage should trigger immediate engineering assessment and precautionary shutdown pending evaluation.
- Operators of older turbines should confirm that structural inspection intervals remain appropriate as assets approach and pass two decades of service.
- Clear decommissioning and make-safe procedures should be in place for turbines found to be structurally compromised beyond repair.
Published 2026-09-15. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.