Wind turbine blade snaps off during storm at Goshen Wind Project in Ontario
EIR-0914Other entries that name Goshen
Provisional entry. Confirmed: a blade snapped off one of 63 turbines at NextEra's Goshen Wind Project near Grand Bend, Ontario, during storms on 2 August 2015, and the operator said other turbines were unaffected. Not yet known: the cause, whether lightning or wind loading was responsible, and whether protective shutdown systems functioned. Next update: 18 September 2026.
During severe thunderstorms on the evening of 2 August 2015, one of 63 wind turbines at NextEra Energy's Goshen Wind Project on Kirkton Road in the Grand Bend area of Ontario had a blade snap off. Environment Canada recorded a wind gust of 110 km/h at Grand Bend around 8pm that evening, and the storms were reported to have produced intense lightning. A NextEra spokesperson said the turbines are fitted with wind speed and lightning sensors that typically guard against damage by automatically shutting down the spinning blades. The company said it was trying to determine why the turbine failed. Agencies including the electricity system operator were notified, and the company said all other turbines at the site remained operational. No injuries were reported in the source, and the cause was not established at the time of reporting.
Severe thunderstorm conditions, including a recorded wind gust of 110 km/h and reported intense lightning. The operator described automatic wind speed and lightning protection intended to shut down turbines in such conditions, but the reason for this failure was still being investigated and no cause has been confirmed.
- Automatic wind speed and lightning protection systems should be periodically tested to confirm they trigger shutdown reliably in extreme storm conditions.
- Operators benefit from clear protocols for post-storm inspection of every turbine on a site, not only the unit known to have failed.
- Prompt notification of grid operators and other agencies after a component failure supports faster system-wide risk assessment.
Published 2026-09-16. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.