Roughly a decade ago, Salem, Massachusetts, saw the sunsetting of the Salem Harbor Power Plant. The old coal-fired generating station was infamous for pollution that contributed to a high level of asthma attacks and premature deaths in surrounding New England communities.
Late last month, at a groundbreaking ceremony, the city welcomed a new chapter for the fossil fuel site, which is predicted to become a staging ground for the offshore wind industry starting in early 2026, and hopefully a turning point for energy generation in Massachusetts.
“On the site where, until quite recently, there was a giant coal pile, oil tanks, one of the dirtiest power plants in America, and vast barges unloading coal by the ton, a new, green energy future will be assembled,” said Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo.
The forthcoming Salem Offshore Wind Terminal, which will be operated by Crowley Wind Services, will turn an underutilized part of the coastline, and an existing deep port, into a space to support the construction and installation of wind turbines and foundations for offshore wind. Foundations, blades, and the rotors that sit high atop the ocean will be staged and shipped out of the Salem terminal; some components can weigh 400 tons and stretch 250 feet or more. Energy firms Avangrid and Vineyard Offshore have already signed leases.
The city and region also see it as an economic development boost. A community benefits agreement signed between Crowley and the Witch City will result in investments in workforce training and vocational education. The industry desperately needs the jobs; a Department of Energy study found that offshore wind will likely be short 124,000 workers by 2030.
“A lot of it came from our discussions with the city and with community groups, and the mayor taking the lead and holding open meetings and discussions,” said Eric Evans, VP of strategy for Crowley Wind Services. “Our focus going in was, we want to put our money where we can help spur economic benefits to the community. This wasn’t about trying to cover up something bad. It was more about how we promote something good.”
These benefits include $9 million in direct funding assistance to the community, including $400,000 in scholarships for wind-related careers, guarantees to train and hire local workers, $500,000 for a climate adaptation fund, and more than $3.5 million for local schools, including a pre-K partnership. Crowley also pledges to help fully electrify the port by 2040 and utilize charging stations on-site. It’s a small part of the predicted $300 million budget to rework and redevelop the site, which will be overseen by a public-private partnership between Salem and Crawley.
Evans believes there will be many other projects like this, as offshore wind builds momentum across the nation. Despite a raft of recent challenges (financing issues halted a handful of high-profile projects and a few turbine blades have broken off due to manufacturing issues) the industry is still growing, albeit at a slower pace. Massachusetts and New England remain the furthest along in terms of leases and construction activity—five turbines in the Vineyard Wind development went online this past February—but auctions for development in the Gulf of Mexico and off of California’s coast suggest more port cities and towns may see investments similar to Salem.
“We see there’s a definite shortage of available terminals to support offshore wind,” Evans said. “We’re looking at future locations for us to develop, and I think others are doing the same.”