Salem, once considered a port with little potential for offshore wind development, is suddenly being called the centerpiece of the state’s efforts to become the Saudi Arabia of wind.
At a State House press conference on Monday, House Speaker Ron Mariano said he was still tinkering with legislation to promote offshore wind in Massachusetts and mentioned a recent tour he and Senate President Karen Spilka took of the Salem waterfront.
“The Senate president and I were just out to Salem viewing what we hope will be the focal point of all our offshore wind development here in Massachusetts,” he said.
That’s a major turnaround for a port that didn’t even figure in the running for offshore wind until recently. In 2010, an offshore wind port and infrastructure analysis prepared for the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center focused most of its attention on New Bedford (where the state would build the offshore wind marine commerce terminal) and was fairly dismissive of Salem.
“Salem has limited potential for substantial expanded marine industrial activities, with limited access by road and rail,” the report said.
A similar study, completed in 2017, ranked 18 port facilities in Massachusetts in terms of their potential to service the offshore wind industry. All 18 were located in New Bedford, Boston, Quincy, and Fall River/Somerset. Salem didn’t make the list.
The first time Salem surfaced as a serious contender for offshore wind operations was last July, when Gov. Charlie Baker urged lawmakers to approve the use of $100 million in federal aid for offshore wind infrastructure projects in New Bedford, Somerset, Fall River, and Salem.
Salem picked up more momentum in September when Avangrid Renewables promised to use a site on the city’s waterfront for turbine assembly, staging, and storage if the company won a state contract to build an offshore wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts. In December, when Avangrid won a contract, the company promised to move ahead with its plans in Salem and also revealed that one of its suppliers would open an undersea cable manufacturing facility at Brayton Point in Somerset.
And now Mariano is hailing Salem as the focal point of offshore wind development in Massachusetts.
At his press conference on Monday, following a private meeting with Spilka and Baker, Mariano also provided an update on offshore wind legislation being developed in the House. When the House bill was approved by the Legislature’s Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy Committee in January, it was expected to move quickly to the House floor. But it hasn’t surfaced yet.
“I think it will be acted on pretty quickly,” Mariano said. “I guess it depends on your definition of quickly. There’s legislative quickly and then there’s press quickly. I think we’re moving it forward.”
Mariano said the bill is still being revised. “We continue to adjust this bill to make sure that we understand what’s needed to make Massachusetts the premier offshore wind center on the East Coast. We want to make sure we get this right,” he said.
The speaker indicated he, the governor, and Spilka are in general agreement on offshore wind, even though Sen. Michael Barrett of Lexington, the co-chair of the Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy Commission, has raised serious concerns about parts of the bill.
“The Senate president and I are on the same page,” Mariano said. “We’re making sure we get it perfect.”
BRUCE MOHL
FROM COMMONWEALTH
Big building code changes: The Baker administration is preparing to unveil proposed revisions to the state building code that would ratchet up energy conservation across the state and allow individual communities to opt-in to a “specialized stretch code” that would require new construction to be much more energy self-sufficient.
– The specialized stretch code, according to sources, would require new construction be accompanied by rooftop solar where practical and be electrification-ready, meaning the dwelling would be equipped to go all electric. Under the proposal, fossil fuel infrastructure would not be banned, as some communities have been pushing for. Read more.
Mental health survey: A survey conducted for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Massachusetts reveals widespread need for mental health care during the pandemic, with the 19-39 age group most affected. Read more.
School mask mandate: Gov. Charlie Baker hinted the state’s school mask mandate may be nearing an end. He said the current end date of February 28 is consistent with March end dates just announced in Delaware and New Jersey. Read more.
Open Meeting Law violations: Attorney General Maura Healey releases a report on Open Meeting Law enforcement across the state, and the most egregious incident appears to be in Woburn, where several members of the library board of trustees held two secret meetings. Read more.
OPINION
COVID education planning: The Massachusetts Equity Education Partnership says the state needs to be better prepared for future COVID surges so learning doesn’t always have to take a back seat to logistics. Read more.
FROM AROUND THE WEB
BEACON HILL
House Speaker Ronald Mariano says the Legislature may soon take up a “revenge porn” bill. (Boston Globe)
Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration pushes for a $5 billion bond bill to modernize public buildings, upgrade cybersecurity and electrify the state’s vehicle fleet. (Gloucester Daily Times)
MUNICIPAL MATTERS
The Worcester Board of Health votes to rescind its mask mandate February 18. (Telegram & Gazette) Saugus is doing the same. (Daily Item)
HEALTH/HEALTH CARE
Gov. Charlie Baker names Margret Cooke as the new public health commissioner. She has been acting commissioner for several months. (Associated Press)
Ten immigrant families from Central America are alleging poor medical care by East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, including one who alleges her baby died as a result of improper care. (GBH)
Two separate COVID-19 outbreaks at the Linda’s Manor nursing home and assisted living facility in Northampton lead to widespread infections and four deaths. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)
WASHINGTON/NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL
President Biden’s top science advisor, Eric Lander, resigns amid evidence that he mistreated his staff. (NPR)
ELECTIONS
The shadow of former president Donald Trump is hanging over the Massachusetts governor’s race. (Salem News)
Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo is running for Suffolk County district attorney, seeking to replace Rachael Rollins who left to become US attorney. (WBUR)
Political campaign strategist Sydney Levin-Epstein, a Longmeadow Democrat and former aide to Sen. Ed Markey, is running for the state Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Eric Lesser. (MassLive)
House Speaker Ron Mariano says he plans to appoint a new majority leader to replace Claire Cronin, who was tapped as ambassador to Ireland, but he is unlikely to hold special elections to fill two House vacancies, because redistricting will change those districts months after the person is elected. (MassLive)
BUSINESS/ECONOMY
More employers are offering paid leave from pregnancy loss from miscarriage or failed adoption or surrogacy efforts. (Boston Globe)
A change in state payroll systems delayed paychecks for thousands of personal care attendants, driving some out of the field, which is already struggling to maintain its workforce that assists people with disabilities. (Boston Globe)
EDUCATION
Boston schools superintendent Brenda Cassellius’s resignation presents a challenge and opportunity to Mayor Michelle Wu, who will now be able to guide the hiring of a new school leader. (Boston Globe)
TRANSPORTATION
The Boston area has seen a surge in the construction of bike lanes, but the trend is facing some pushback from businesses who say the removal of parking spaces is hurting their bottom line. (Boston Globe)
A commuter rail train hits and totals a car in Ashland whose driver mistakenly pulled onto the track. The driver got out of the vehicle before the train hit the car. A similar incident occurred at the same intersection two years ago. (MetroWest Daily News)
ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT
Millions of gallons of wastewater have been flowing into Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester due to a failure at a pumping station. (Telegram & Gazette)
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/COURTS
A study of traffic stops in Massachusetts concluded that drivers of color were no more likely to be pulled over than white drivers, but were more likely to be subjected to searches and criminal citations as a result of a stop. (Boston Globe)
US Attorney Rachael Rollins said she would pursue the death penalty for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev if the Supreme Court clears the way for its reimposition and Attorney General Merrick Garland says it’s what the government wants. (Boston Herald)
MEDIA
City Cast, a network of local podcasts, is launching a four-person operation in Boston. (Media Nation)