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Wind (onshore)United StatesEIR-0886

Wind turbine collapses at Butler Ridge Wind Farm in Wisconsin

Jan 2023Published 16 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantMechanical
Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
Figure hidden: shown to subscribersMedium confidence
turbine out of service for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
From the recordRoot cause hiddenFailed part hidden
Where
Butler Ridge Wind Farm near the Town of Herman in Dodge County, Wisconsin
Owner
NextEra Energy
What
Wind turbine collapsed with tower and blades scattering debris across a field
Injuries
None reported
Cause
Under investigation

Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): NextEra Energy

What happened

A wind turbine at the Butler Ridge Wind Farm near the Town of Herman in Dodge County, Wisconsin, collapsed on a Wednesday night, with the tower and blades falling and scattering debris across a field. Nobody on the ground was injured. The turbine is owned by NextEra Energy. In a statement, the company said it believed the event was an isolated incident, noting that turbine malfunctions are rare, and confirmed it was working to determine the cause of the failure while assessing other turbines at the site as a quality-control measure.

Contributing factors

The cause of the turbine failure had not been determined at the time of reporting; NextEra Energy stated it was investigating.

Lessons learned

  1. A wind turbine tower collapse can scatter debris across a wide area, so operators should review ground exclusion zones and site buffers.
  2. After one turbine structural failure, operators should inspect other units at the site to check for shared design or maintenance issues.

More lessons on structural integrity and turbines, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Specific cause of the collapse
  • Turbine model and age
  • Duration of any site downtime
  • Cost of the damage

This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.

Source

foxsanantonio.com

Site page: Butler Ridge (status, dates and other incidents)

Published 2026-09-16. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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Chart to reuse with this story: Wind (onshore) incidents in the United States, by year, free with a credit (PNG).

Wind (onshore) incidents in the United States: 102 entries, with a free alert for the next one.

Wind turbine fires: the counts, the latest entries and a free alert for the next one. Also: wind turbine blade failures and wind turbine collapses.

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