Late last month, at a groundbreaking ceremony, the city welcomed a new chapter for the fossil fuel site, which is predicted to become a staging ground for the offshore wind industry starting in early 2026, and hopefully a turning point for energy generation in Massachusetts.

"On the site where, until quite recently, there was a giant coal pile, oil tanks, one of the dirtiest power plants in America, and vast barges unloading coal by the ton, a new, green energy future will be assembled," said Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo.

The forthcoming Salem Offshore Wind Terminal, which will be operated by Crowley Wind Services, will turn an underutilized part of the coastline, and an existing deep port, into a space to support the construction and installation of wind turbines and foundations for offshore wind. Foundations, blades, and the rotors that sit high atop the ocean will be staged and shipped out of the Salem terminal; some components can weigh 400 tons and stretch 250 feet or more. Energy firms Avangrid and Vineyard Offshore have already signed leases.