Providence — A barge accident off the coast of Rhode Island has dented the foundation of what will be the nation's first offshore wind farm.

Deepwater Wind officials told The Providence Journal on Thursday that such accidents are not uncommon in offshore construction projects.

A barge being used in the construction hit and dented the foundation in the water earlier this week. Deepwater Wind officials say repairing the foundation won't throw the project off track.

The company began attaching the first of the steel foundations to the ocean floor Sunday. The foundation is set to be secured to the ocean floor this week.

Installing the foundation is supposed to take eight weeks.

The company expects the five-turbine wind farm off Block Island to power 17,000 homes as early as next year.