by Brianna Crandall — April 4, 2011—The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) is beginning the process to offer the first commercial wind lease off Delaware’s coast under DOI’s “Smart from the Start” Atlantic Offshore Wind program. DOI and its Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) announced the decision on March 24 following a determination that there is no competitive interest for commercial wind energy development in this area of the Outer Continental Shelf.
Under the expedited “Smart” process, officials can move ahead toward a non-competitive lease agreement with NRG Bluewater Wind Delaware for potential offshore wind development, according to a newsletter from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). Bluewater has proposed a phased wind turbine development 11 miles east of Dewey Beach, Delaware, and has an agreement to sell offshore power to the state’s largest utility, Delmarva.
Several steps remain before a lease can be issued, including environmental reviews and consultation with other federal, state, local, and tribal organizations. Additionally, once a lease is issued, the developer will be required to submit a detailed construction and operation plan, which will be subject to further environmental review and public comment before any final decision is made on a proposed project.
