Salem Reaches $9 Million Offshore Wind Community Benefits Agreement

SALEM, MA — A Community Benefits Agreement between Salem and the operates of the forthcoming offshore wind terminal at the city's deep-water port includes nearly $4 million in education investments, $2.5 million in first responder training, equipment and support, $500,000 in initial climate action funding and $250,000 to support alternative fireworks for community celebrations.

Those are among the $9 million in direct funding assistance the city is due in what Mayor Dominick Pangallo's office called "a public-private partnership to support the growth of renewable, offshore wind energy."

"This is a historic document," Pangallo said, "not only because of the value and support it will bring to so many critical city efforts — infrastructure, jobs, education, resiliency, and public safety, just to name a few — but because it represents a powerful commitment by all parties to advance this project with an equity focus."

Among the other priorities in the agreement are $400,000 in scholarships for offshore wind or maritime-related career paths and educational opportunities, with a preference for Salem residents, $187,500 for bilingual employment outreach and educational programs geared toward Salem High School career and technical students, and a commitment to target new hires from typically marginalized populations, including people from environmental justice communities, veterans, those living with disabilities, those experiencing housing insecurity, and the formerly incarcerated.

"This agreement reflects that Salem is an environmental justice community and one that has lived for generations with the legacy of fossil fuel power generation and heavy industry impacts on our port and our neighborhoods," Pangallo said. "Now, we're ready to do our part to ensure a clean energy future for our community, our Commonwealth, and our country through the potential offered by offshore wind."

The terminal will be a logistics and operations center for wind turbine pre-assembly, transportation, staging activities and storage of assembly components and include redeveloping the former Salem Harbor Station site, previously a coal fire power plant.

Crowley Vice President Graham Tyson said the agreement will "provide a generational impact" on the city and region that will "leverage the power of this milestone project supporting renewable energy to make people's lives better."

Crowley will also contribute $850,000 for intersection improvements at Essex Street and Webb Street, $1.25 million to fund added Harbormaster personnel, and $1 million for specialized training and equipment for Salem police and fire crews tailored toward marine operations.

Crowley also committed to incorporating electrification and shore power technologies at the port with the goal of 100 percent electrification by 2040 and will install 10 electric vehicle charging stations at the site for employee use.

"Community voices have been and will continue to be vital in the creation of an offshore wind hub in Salem that can transform our local economy and put us in a position to make Salem a model for the Commonwealth's equitable clean energy transition," said Jim Mulloy of the Salem Offshore Wind Alliance. "We look forward to our ongoing partnership with the City as we collaborate to see this work through."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)