Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey made it clear that she is all in on offshore wind, even as a presidential election looms whose outcome could be devastating for the industry.
Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll joined industry officials at a ceremonial groundbreaking for an offshore wind staging terminal in Salem, where Driscoll previously served as mayor. The terminal, once it is finished in late 2026, will become the second offshore wind staging facility in Massachusetts; the other one is located in New Bedford.
Donald Trump has vowed to shut down the offshore wind industry if he is elected in November, and a president wields considerable power since wind farms are located in federal waters. Healey said she is well aware of the former president’s stated position, but gave no indication that his stance is affecting her decision to make offshore wind the centerpiece of the state’s climate change efforts.
She accused Trump of kowtowing to fossil fuel interests in return for campaign cash.. “He’s going to shut down offshore wind,” Healey said. “He’s going to shut down all clean energy technology. He’s going to shut down the move toward renewables. And if that were to happen, we would end up with a sicker, less healthy population. The consequences on our economy would be devastating. Look what we’re dealing with already in terms of the disparity of storms and weather due to climate. We can’t afford to go backward on climate and so many other things.”
Pressed on whether it makes sense to go all in on offshore wind before the election is decided, Healey said she is moving full speed ahead. “This is the future. This is where we need to be,” she said. “It could not be clearer that this is where we have to go.”
The governor also indicated the rupture of a turbine blade at the Vineyard Wind wind farm in mid-July was not going to delay her efforts. The blade breakdown sent foam and fiberglass into the water, and a hefty amount ended up washing ashore on Nantucket and Cape Cod beaches.
“We’ve heard a little bit about setbacks lately in this space and we’ve certainly heard people try to knock this industry,” the governor told a crowd at the groundbreaking. “But make no mistake about it. We are not going backward. We are going forward, and Massachusetts is going to lead.”
She suggested there will be no long-term impact from the rupture of the turbine blade, which was manufactured by GE Vernova of Cambridge.
“We’re going to figure out and get to the bottom of what happened with the GE. Ok, we’re going to deal with that, but let’s be clear about this. We are invested big time in this industry, and we are going to lead proudly from Massachusetts,” Healey said. “Offshore wind is critical to our state. It’s critical to reducing emissions and meeting our climate goals.”
The offshore wind staging area in Salem will be a place where wind farm components are assembled and transferred out to wind farm construction sites. A gas-fired power plant is currently located on the site – which previously was home to a coal-fired power plant. The onshore transition seemed fitting to Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo, who noted the adjacent neighborhood had suffered flooding not long ago.
“We know that while the sea can sink us, it can also save us,” the mayor said.
Crowley Wind Services is going to operate the staging terminal. The company bought and later sold the property for the same price to the state’s Clean Energy Center, which is leasing it back to Crowley for 25 years.
Two wind developers – Avangrid and Vineyard Offshore – have signed leases with Crowley to use the new facility over the next six years. The leases are contingent on the companies winning power supply contracts from the state in a procurement expected to be announced next month. In a press release announcing its bid for a contract, Avangrid said the company will “provide $30 million in upfront investment and $100 million in lease payments to catalyze the development of a world-class offshore wind marshalling port in Salem.”
Avangrid, which has nearly all of its permitting in place for a proposed 800-megawatt wind farm called New England Wind 1, is favored to win a contract in the procurement.
But Bob Karl, president and CEO at Crowley, said his company would continue to build out the staging facility in Salem no matter what happens with next month’s procurement announcement – even if Avangrid and Vineyard Offshore don’t win contracts. He said his company would work with developers who do win the contracts, although the other bidders have indicated they would do their staging elsewhere.
Karl said Crowley is moving ahead with construction of the facility no matter what happens with next month’s procurement announcement.
“We may be crazy but we’re still going ahead,” he said.