Press Releases

In case you missed it, yesterday, The News Journal highlighted Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester’s (D-Del.) work to secure $127.5 million to the Diamond State Port Corporation for the decarbonization of Port Wilmington. This federal investment comes as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Ports Program, a $3 billion investment by the Biden-Harris Administration secured through the Inflation Reduction Act.

To read the full article, click here or see below.

Delaware Online: Port of Wilmington and Cape May-Lewes Ferry receive federal funding for green improvements

Author: Shane Brennan

Diamond State Port Corp. is receiving more than $127 million from the EPA as a part of the Clean Ports Program, established by the Inflation Reduction Act.

DSPC owns the Port of Wilmington and is building a terminal in Edgemoor. This grant will go into both projects.

The Clean Ports Program was established in February 2024 using a bill, H.R. 862, from Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., as a model. The program’s goal is to make ports more environmentally friendly for the surrounding areas.

DSPC funding is a fraction of the program’s $3 billion distribution to ports across the country to make environmental improvements.

The funding in Wilmington is for electric cargo handling equipment and new charging infrastructure at the Port of Wilmington and at the developing location in Edgemoor. Chairman of DSPC Jeffrey Bullock said this kind of funding has never been available for eco-friendly projects.

"This grant is going to make a huge difference by giving the existing port of Wilmington, and the new facility we are building the resources needed to improve environmental safety and make Delaware's ports better for everyone living in our state.”

The port terminal in Edgemoor received over $195 million from the state while it continues to be developed. The terminal is designed to increase the container capacity and variety of the Port of Wilmington.

In a statement, Blunt Rochester said the funding is a “vital investment” for the Port of Wilmington.

“I am proud to have championed provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act based on my Climate Action Planning for Ports Act that made this program possible,” she said. “This necessary action will ensure Port Wilmington has the resources to deploy cleaner technology, create good-paying union jobs, strengthen our supply chains, and address the climate crisis."

The Port Wilmington is not the only port in Delaware getting some cash. The Delaware River and Bay Authority received $540,000 to help the Cape May-Lewes Ferry port reduce its emissions and increase climate resiliency.

Heath Gehrke, director of Ferry Operations, said the investment will be used to fund an analysis of engineering and design work for required infrastructure to have all their vessels be electric over the next decade.

“We’re laying the foundation for sustainable ferry operations for the next generation of our customers and this grant award under the EPA’s Clean Ports Program will significantly aid the Cape May -Lewes Ferry’s transition to a greener future,” he said.

On Oct. 23, DRBA announced that it received $20 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to support the construction of its first diesel-hybrid ferry. The ferry costs $74 million to build and is expected to join the fleet in the summer of 2027.

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