Gracie WarhurstThe Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), a Florida-based shipping company and the city of Salem have entered a public-private partnership (P3) that will turn a former oil- and coal-fired power plant into a facility that will support construction of a floating offshore wind farm in both Massachusetts and Maine.
The Salem Offshore Wind Terminal, located on Salem Harbor, will be Massachusetts’ second port dedicated to the support of offshore wind farms. Its first, the New Bedford Wind Commerce Center, delivered power to Massachusetts for the first time in January.
Crowley Wind Services will oversee the redevelopment of the site. As the terminal operator, Crowley will upgrade the port’s infrastructure to accommodate heavy machinery and equipment, enhance the harbor channel with dredging activities and construct a second state-of-the-art ship berth.
“This partnership with the City of Salem and Crowley will deliver another port built specifically for offshore wind at this critical time in the clean energy transition, for Massachusetts, for the United States, and for the world,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement.
The acquisition and redevelopment of the terminal reflects MassCEC’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Both facilities represent critical infrastructure for Massachusetts’ climate goals and addresses the shortage of adequate port facilities for offshore wind in the United States.
The facility will also help establish an offshore wind farm in the Gulf of Maine. Construction on the port will start this year and is projected to open by 2026.
“We are excited to continue advancing the opportunity for clean, renewable offshore wind energy for Massachusetts and beyond through this dynamic public-private partnership,” Bob Karl, senior vice president and general manager of Crowley Wind Services, said in a statement. “We appreciate … the ongoing collaborations with the City of Salem and its residents to create economic investment and jobs at a world-class marshalling port for offshore wind.”
Wind energy is a growing sector within the U.S., making up 10% of electricity in the nation in 2023. U.S. offshore wind energy projects under development and in operation increased by 15% from the previous year, totaling 52,687 MW, according to the Department of Energy. This capacity, if fully utilized, could power more than 18 million American homes.
