What's New?
The Department of the Interior and BOEM are implementing President Trump’s memorandum temporarily halting offshore wind leasing on the Outer Continental Shelf. The memorandum also pauses new or renewed approvals, rights-of-way, permits, leases, or loans for offshore wind projects pending a review of federal wind leasing and permitting practices.
Public Engagement
BOEM has coordinated OCS renewable energy activities offshore Delaware with its federal, state, local, and tribal government partners through its Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force. To obtain information discussed during these meetings click on the links below.
- 2011 Task Force Meeting (March 24, 2011)
- 2010 Task Force Meeting (July 15, 2010)
- 2009 Task Force Meeting (October 29, 2009)
Environmental Studies
BOEM has funded or considered numerous studies to collect information about the marine environment to support decisions concerning offshore renewable energy development. For more information, please visit: http://www.boem.gov/DE-Environmental-Studies.
Related Press Releases
- Secretary Salazar: Renewable Energy on Public Lands and Waters Making Rapid Advances (February 26, 2013)
- Interior Announces Commercial Lease for Renewable Energy Offshore Delaware (October 23, 2012)
- Obama Administration Announces Major Steps toward Leasing for Offshore Wind Projects in Mid-Atlantic (February 2, 2012)
- Salazar Launches 'Smart from the Start' Initiative to Speed Offshore Wind Energy Development off the Atlantic Coast (November 23, 2010)
Request for Interest
The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act requires BOEM to award renewable energy leases competitively, unless BOEM determines there is no competitive interest.
April 26, 2010: BOEM published a "Request for Interest" (RFI) in the Federal Register (under Docket ID: MMS-2010-OMM-0017) to assist BOEM in determining whether competitive interest existed in an area offshore Delaware. The public comment period ended on June 25, 2010.
Materials related to the RFI are below.
- Request for Interest (RFI) for Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the OCS Offshore Delaware
- Map of RFI area
- Comments received in response to the RFI
- Commercial indications of interest received
Notice of Proposed Lease Area and Request for Competitive Interest
In response to the RFI, BOEM received two commercial nominations. Of these nominations, BOEM determined Bluewater Wind Delaware LLC (BWW) was qualified to hold an OCS commercial lease.
Jan. 26, 2011: BOEM published a “Notice of Proposed Lease Area and Request for Competitive Interest” (RFCI) (under Docket ID: BOEMRE-2010-0075) to provide notice of BWW’s proposed lease area and invite public comment. Materials related to the RFCI are below.
- Map of proposed lease area offshore Delaware
- RFCI for Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the OCS Offshore Delaware
- Comments received in response to the RFCI
Determination of No Competitive Interest
April 12, 2011: BOEM published a Notice of Determination of No Competitive Interest (DNCI) in the Federal Register (under Docket ID: BOEM-2011-0008), thereby announcing BOEM’s decision to proceed with a noncompetitive lease process for the proposed lease area offshore Delaware.
Environmental Review
Feb. 3, 2012: BOEM also published in the Federal Register a Notice of Availability of an Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for commercial wind lease issuance and site assessment activities on the Atlantic OCS offshore New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. Consultations ran concurrently with preparation of the EA and included consultations under the Endangered Species Act, Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, and the Coastal Zone Management Act.
Commercial Lease
Oct. 23, 2012: Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that BOEM reached agreement on a commercial wind energy lease with Bluewater Wind Delaware, LLC for an area of the OCS offshore Delaware.
Nov. 16, 2012: The lease (OCS-A 0482) was executed. 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
- Lease Amendment dated 10/3/14
- Map of the Delaware Commercial Lease Area
- Map of the Delaware Commercial Lease Area with a NOAA Nautical Chart Background
Dec. 2, 2016: BOEM received an application to assign 100% of commercial lease OCS-A 0482 to GSOE I, LLC.
Dec. 20, 2016: BOEM approved the assignment. The approved assignment may be found below.
April 12, 2018: GSOE I, LLC submitted an application to BOEM to assign the southern portion of lease #OCS-A 0482 to Skipjack Offshore Energy, LLC.
June 12, 2018: BOEM approved the assignment. The lease area assigned to Skipjack Offshore Energy, LLC now carries the new lease number #OCS-A 0519. Skipjack Offshore Energy, LLC's lease is subject to all terms and conditions of the original lease, including the lease terms and December 1, 2012 effective date. Please find a copy of the assignment below:
July 12, 2018: GSOE I, LLC submitted a Site Assessment Plan (SAP) to assess metrological and oceanographic conditions on this lease area. The buoy is also able to collect data that can used in support of the Skipjack Project on adjacent lease OCS-A 0519.
Dec. 2, 2019: After review and appropriate consultations, BOEM approved this SAP.
June 3, 2024: Skipjack Offshore Energy, LLC (Skipjack), and GSOE I, LLC (GSOE) jointly submitted a Construction and Operations Plan (COP) to construct and offshore wind facility in Renewable Energy Lease Areas OCS-A 0519 and OCS-A482. The purpose of the Project is to construct and operate a new offshore wind farm designed to help one or more states within the mid-Atlantic region meet their clean energy goals. The Project would consist of up to 72 wind turbine generators (“WTG”), associated inter-array cabling, new onshore and offshore substations, transmission cables and onshore works for connection to the wholesale electric grid administered by PJM Interconnection L.L.C. The COP is currently under internal review and further details will be posted in the near future.
For more information on Skipjack Wind see BOEM's website.