SALEM — If Gov. Deval Patrick has a major announcement to make about Salem Harbor Station, nobody seems to know what it is.

Patrick generated minor shock waves Thursday night at a community forum in Marblehead when, in response to a question from a power plant opponent, he said the state is in talks with Dominion, the plant owner, and "we shall have something to say in a couple of weeks." He declined to be more specific.

The best guess, several people said, is that the governor hopes to make an announcement about the exploration of alternative fuels or renewable energy options for the 745-megawatt coal- and oil-burning plant.

Dominion confirmed that it is in discussions with the state, talks that apparently were prompted by a sweeping piece of energy legislation that the governor signed into law last summer.

"We are reviewing different fuel options for Salem Harbor, and we are doing the review in coordination with the commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Green Communities Act of 2008," said Jim Norvelle, a spokesman for the Virginia-based energy company.

"We continue to review these options but have not made any decisions yet. We have had a range of discussions with state officials since last fall, and we expect to be able to say more about this in the relatively near term."

The office of state Energy Secretary Ian Bowles also confirmed the talks but backed off from the governor's claim that an announcement is coming in "a couple of weeks."

"There will be some news at some point, but I can't tell you how soon," said Robert Keough, a spokesman for Bowles.

Bowles' office did attempt to allay fears in Salem, where the governor's comment that the plant's waterfront site is "quite magnificent" was seen by some as foreshadowing of the plant's possible closure. The governor was responding to comments at the forum about other possible money-making uses for the site.

"At this point, I don't think there's any cause to believe that closing down the plant is anyone's desire," Keough said.

It is no secret that Salem Harbor Station has been looking, to some degree, at alternative fuels. It experimented with burning waste paper three years ago and may be investigating "biomass," or a wood-chip product, as another fuel option, according to state Rep. John Keenan.

But nobody expects any major announcements soon.

The state has been "encouraging them to go in the green direction, but it would be optimistic to suggest it's that close," Keenan said.

"I think they are exploring alternatives ..." Mayor Kim Driscoll said. "I don't think anything is necessarily imminent."

Lori Ehrlich, the environmental activist and Marblehead state representative, said she is "not aware of any specific or any impending changes."

Dominion repeated its past assurances that it is "going to continue to operate the plant as long as it is financially viable ... and (that) we do see a strong future for Salem Harbor."