Delaware

Secretary Salazar announced on October 23, 2012 that BOEM has reached agreement on a commercial wind energy lease with Bluewater Wind Delaware, LLC for an area of the OCS offshore Delaware. The lease (OCS-A 0482) was executed on November 16, 2012. This announcement, the executed lease, and a map of the lease area are below.

• Notice of Availability of a Commercial Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy on the Outer Continental Shelf - Offshore Delaware  
• Commercial Lease OCS-A 0482  
• Map of the Delaware Commercial Lease Area
• Map of the Delaware Commercial Lease Area with a NOAA Nautical Chart Background
• DOI Press Release

Finding of No Historic Properties Affected for the Issuance of Commercial Leases within the Delaware Wind Energy Area.

The Delaware Notice of Determination of No Competitive Interest (DNCI) was published in the Federal Register on April 12, 2011 under Docket ID: BOEM-2011-0008.

The Delaware Notice of Proposed Lease Area and Request for Competitive Interest (RFCI) was published in the Federal Register on January 26, 2011 under Docket ID: BOEMRE-2010-0075

• Map Showing Proposed Lease Area Offshore Delaware
• RFCI for Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the OCS Offshore Delaware

The comment period for the Delaware RFCI closed on February 10, 2011. Comments received include the following:

• Captain William A. Broadley
• Mariners’ Advisory Committee for the Bay & River Delaware
• Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay
• Resource Access International, LLC

The Delaware Request for Interest was published in the Federal Register on April 26, 2010 under Docket ID: MMS–2010–OMM–0017.

• Map Showing the Request for Interest
• Request for Interest (RFI) for Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the OCS Offshore Delaware

The comment period for the Delaware RFI closed on June 25, 2010. Comments received include the following:

• The American Waterways Operators
• Dann Marine Towing, LC
• U.S. Coast Guard Fifth District
• The Nature Conservancy in Delaware
• NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, Habitat Conservation Division
• Commercial Indications of Interest

The BOEM is working to coordinate through the task force with the federal, state, local and tribal governments. The goal of the task force is to facilitate intergovernmental communications regarding OCS renewable energy activities. Files from the first Delaware Task Force meeting on October 29, 2009 are below:

• Task Force Introduction
• Introduction to the BOEMRE Leasing Process
• Introduction to the BOEMRE Environmental Review Process
• Introduction to the Request for Interest
• List of Attendees at the Meeting

The second in-person Delaware task force meeting was held on July 15, 2010 in Lewes to present and discuss public comments received in response to the Delaware RFI. Files from the second task force meeting are below:

• Meeting Purpose
• Discussion of RFI Responses Received
• List of Attendees

The BOEMRE offered one interim policy limited lease to Bluewater Wind Delaware LLC in June 2009 for the installation of a meteorological tower.

The third in-person Delaware task force meeting was held on March 24, 2011 in Lewes to announce BOEMRE’s determination of no competitive interest in the Delaware proposed lease area and present and discuss public comments received in response to the Delaware RFCI. Files from the third task force meeting are below:

• Meeting Agenda
• DOI Discussion of Smart from the Start
• BOEMRE Environmental Review Process
• Delaware RFCI Responses Received