Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester Announce $20 million to Lower Emissions of Cape May-Lewes Ferry Fleet

Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper, Chris Coons and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) announced a $20 million grant award from the U.S. Department of Transportation to the Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) to replace an over 40-year-old diesel engine ferry that serves passengers who travel between Lewes, Delaware, and Cape May, New Jersey with a diesel-hybrid ferry. This funding will help DRBA’s efforts to transition its ferry fleet to provide an environmentally sustainable ferry service by lowering carbon emissions.

The Cape May – Lewes Ferry began operations on July 1, 1964 and has carried more than 50 million passengers. As an integral transportation system connecting the communities and economies on both sides of the Delaware Bay, the Ferry service is a significant catalyst for economic growth and regional tourism activity in New Jersey and Delaware. Its operations sustain over 4,000 jobs while generating tens of millions of dollars in local taxes and hundreds of millions in regional economic activity. For every $1 invested in the Ferry, $20 of economic activity is generated.

The diesel-hybrid ferry will operate with lower emissions compared to a diesel ferry, and it will allow zero-emission operations while near port and while docked. The hybrid and all-electric operating modes are estimated to achieve the following annual reductions: 2,025 tons in carbon dioxide, 102.7 tons in nitrogen dioxide, 1.51 tons of fine particulate matter, 1.03 tons of hydrocarbons, and 5 tons of carbon monoxide. The new engines will also reduce fuel consumption by 35 percent.

“I’ve long supported replacing diesel engines with cleaner-powered engines to help improve our air quality and protect public health while lowering greenhouse gas emissions,” said Senator Carper, chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee in the U.S. Senate. “Hundreds of thousands of people depend on this ferry route every year, and I’m glad we are making investments into cleaner operations that our passengers, operators, crew members, and folks who live and work around the terminals can enjoy.”

“For six decades, the Cape May-Lewes Ferry has provided a trusted link across the Delaware Bay that has brought more visitors to our beaches and stimulated our economy,” said Senator Coons, co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Climate Solutions Caucus. “As the lowest-lying state in the nation, moving our public transportation in greener, cleaner directions is a must, and this incredible investment will modernize our fleet while preserving our charm and history.” 

“The Cape-May Lewes Ferry connects hundreds of thousands of people between Delaware and New Jersey every year, boosting regional tourism, supporting ferry workers, and spurring investments in our local businesses and economy,” said Rep. Blunt Rochester, member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “This federal funding, which I am proud to have secured alongside Senator Carper and Senator Coons, will be instrumental in advancing the Delaware River and Bay Authority’s work to modernize the Cape-May Lewes Ferry fleet so we can continue to lower emissions, make our communities healthier, and implement our clean energy future.”

“On behalf of the Delaware River and Bay Authority, I want to thank the Delaware congressional delegation for their collective and persistent efforts to obtaining this vital federal funding to construct the next generation of vessels for the Cape May – Lewes Ferry,” said DRBA Executive Director Thomas J. Cook. “We expect our naval architects to complete the vessel final design package of the new vessel by year’s end and we expect to solicit bids to begin construction of this first vessel in 2025 so the timing couldn’t be better. Our goal is to improve service and reduce operating costs while laying the foundation for sustainable ferry operations for the next generation of our customers.”