Salem Offshore Wind Site Gets OK As State Power Provider

Salem MA

17 December, 2021

2:42 PM

Description

SALEM, MA — Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll hailed Friday's state decision to choose the city's partnership with Commonwealth Wind as the next provider of offshore wind energy as a "transformative moment for Salem, our commonwealth and our planet." Avangrid Renewables, which will run the offshore project with Commonwealth Wind, said the project will provide 1,232 megawatts of clean offshore wind and will bring 11,000 jobs to the North Shore, while providing energy to power 750,000 homes across the state annually. Salem will serve as the marshaling and construction staging site for the turbines. "Salem now has a brighter future," Driscoll said. "It's a future with hundreds of green jobs, a substantial expansion of our tax base, major private investments in improving our historic port, unique opportunities for new science, education, and workforce development initiatives, and, most importantly, the ability to take a significant, positive step forward in fighting the climate crisis." Avangrid proclaimed the project as the first offshore wind manufacturing facility in Massachusetts and the second offshore win port on the North Shore. "Commonwealth Wind is part of AVANGRID's vision to build a clean energy economy through community investment and reimagination," AVANGRID CEO Dennis V. Arriola said. "This strategic project will diversify the energy workforce with good-paying jobs while providing cost-effective, renewable energy. "The energy transition requires real commitment, expertise and vision and we thank the Baker Administration and the people of Massachusetts for their continued support as we work together to make this collective dream a reality." Driscoll said she looks forward to working with the companies involved and local stakeholders "as this exciting new opportunity now officially moves ahead." (Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at [email protected]. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)