Press Releases

12/10/2021

Vineyard Wind Announces Partnership With The City of Salem And Crowley Maritime Corporation To Transform Harbor Into Offshore Wind Port

Vineyard Wind Announces Partnership With The City of Salem And Crowley Maritime Corporation To Transform Harbor Into Offshore Wind Port

PROJECT WILL CREATE HUNDREDS OF JOBS; CROWLEY MARITIME TO REDEVELOP SALEM PORT SITE; VINEYARD WIND PARTNERS TO SERVE AS ANCHOR TENANTS

 

(SALEM, MA) – Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Avangrid Renewables, a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), today announced that the company has entered into an agreement with the City of Salem and Crowley Maritime Corporation to create a public-private partnership aimed at establishing Salem Harbor as the state’s second major offshore wind port. The agreement, part of the “Commonwealth Wind” proposal, is contingent upon the company winning an award by the state of Massachusetts, which is currently evaluating offshore wind procurement bids. 

Vineyard Wind estimates that the project would create up to an estimated 400 full time equivalent (FTE) job years during the revitalization of the port and up to another 500 FTEs over the first five years of operation for construction and staging for wind projects and also day-to-day port operations, for a total of 900 FTE job years.  

“As offshore wind continues to expand, new purpose-built ports will be key to the success of this industry. By constructing the nation’s first purpose-built offshore wind port in New Bedford, Massachusetts has been leading the way.  With a new offshore wind port in Salem, the Commonwealth can ensure that it is ready to face the demands of a rapidly growing industry” said Lars T. Pedersen, CEO of Vineyard Wind.  “With both New Bedford and Salem capable of delivering port operations needed for offshore wind, the state can ensure that both the South Coast and the North Shore can benefit from the creation of new, highly skilled and good paying jobs, something that will cement Massachusetts’ position as a leader in the new and growing offshore wind industry.” 

“This partnership is a great example of how sites that once supported coal can be transformed into sustainable infrastructure to support the vital clean energy transition,” said Bill White, Head of Offshore Wind for Avangrid Renewables.  “Commonwealth Wind is a transformational project that will create good jobs, economic opportunity and clean electricity for Massachusetts, facilitated by this important partnership with the City of Salem and Crowley.”

Under the terms of the proposed agreement, Crowley Maritime Corporation, through its New Energy subsidiary Crowley Wind Services, will purchase the 42 acres surrounding Salem Harbor Station, currently owned by a subsidiary of Footprint Power LLC, and will serve as the long-term offshore wind port operator for the site. Vineyard Wind’s partners (Avangrid Renewables & CIP) will serve as the port’s anchor tenants, utilizing the property for the Commonwealth Wind project as well as other projects in the company’s portfolio.

The Commonwealth Wind project intends to use the site for turbine assembly and staging activities, utilizing the site to store and assemble components – including blades, nacelles, and tower sections – as they are prepared for offshore installation.  Given Salem Harbor’s deep-water port and unrestricted height access to accommodate large-scale wind turbine installation vessels, Vineyard Wind sees Salem Harbor as a necessary addition to support the offshore wind industry within the Commonwealth and across the region.

*Vessels to be utilized by Crowley Maritime to service the offshore wind industry (Credit: Crowley)

Both Vineyard Wind and Crowley will work alongside the City of Salem to engage in a robust community outreach and listening process to seek input and build support for this innovative partnership. The parties are committed to jointly developing a local community benefit agreement to safeguard the City’s long-term interests, while working with residents and businesses to identify local supply chain and workforce development opportunities. 

“I am so pleased to welcome Vineyard Wind and Crowley Maritime here to Salem,” said Mayor Kimberley Driscoll.  “For centuries, when Salem looked toward its future, it looked toward the sea. This site, in particular, has provided the electricity that has powered our community and our Commonwealth for generations. Today, with this announcement, that legacy can continue with a new focus on a clean energy future, based on renewable power and with a shared commitment to positive action to mitigate climate change. In addition, this project would provide a significant expansion to our commercial tax base and create hundreds of clean energy jobs, right here in Salem. I’m looking forward to working with the Vineyard and Crowley teams, as well as our own local stakeholders here in the community, as this exciting new opportunity moves ahead.”

“This partnership reinforces Crowley’s position as a total lifecycle service provider in the offshore wind sector,” said Jeff Andreini, Vice President, Crowley New Energy. “We look forward to working with Vineyard Wind and the City of Salem and providing the highest level of service in order to make Salem Harbor a leading provider in the offshore wind supply chain.”

“This is a critical opportunity for Salem to join offshore wind production in the Commonwealth,” said State Senator Joan Lovely. “Salem Harbor’s deep-port provides an ideal site for offshore wind production and supports regional and statewide efforts to establish reliable renewable energy resources to combat climate change. The partnership between Salem, Vineyard Wind and Crowley Maritime will boost our state's economy while preserving the long-term interests of our community.”

“This proposal represents an exciting and generational opportunity in getting us on the road to renewable clean energy,” said State Representative Paul Tucker.  “The transformation of this site from a coal fired plant to a major clean energy producer is nothing short of extraordinary.”

Following the redevelopment of Salem Harbor, Avangrid Renewables will be the first tenant to utilize the site to assemble and deploy offshore wind turbines for Commonwealth Wind and future projects.  Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners will be the second tenant to utilize the Terminal to assemble and deploy turbines for their future projects.   

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About AVANGRID: AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) aspires to be the leading sustainable energy company in the United States. Headquartered in Orange, CT with approximately $39 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states, AVANGRID has two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. AVANGRID employs approximately 7,000 people and has been recognized by Forbes and Just Capital as one of the 2021 JUST 100 companies – a list of America’s best corporate citizens – and was ranked number one within the utility sector for its commitment to the environment and the communities it serves. The company supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2021 for the third consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.

About Avangrid: Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) aspires to be the leading sustainable energy company in the United States. Headquartered in Orange, CT with approximately $44 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states, Avangrid has two primary lines of business: networks and renewables. Through its networks business, Avangrid owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Through its renewables business, Avangrid owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. Avangrid employs approximately 8,000 people and has been recognized by JUST Capital in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 as one of the JUST 100 companies – a ranking of America’s best corporate citizens. In 2024, Avangrid ranked first among utilities and 12 overall. The company supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2024 for the sixth consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. Avangrid is a member of the group of companies controlled by Iberdrola, S.A. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.

 

About Iberdrola: Iberdrola is one of the world's biggest energy companies and a leader in renewables, spearheading the energy transition to a low carbon economy. The group supplies energy to almost 100 million people in dozens of countries. With a focus on renewable energy, smart networks and smart solutions for customers, Iberdrola’s main markets include Europe (Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, France, Germany, Italy and Greece), the United States, Brazil, Mexico and Australia. The company is also present in growth markets such as Japan, Taiwan, Ireland, Sweden and Poland, among others.

With a workforce of nearly 40,000 and assets in excess of €141.7 billion, across the world, Iberdrola helps to support 400,000 jobs across its supply chain, with annual procurement of €12.2 billion. A benchmark in the fight against climate change, Iberdrola has invested more than €130 billion over the past two decades to help build a sustainable energy model, based on sound environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles.