Florida’s electric utilities plan to add more than 10,580 MW of new generating capacity between now and 2007 to meet surging demand, the Florida Reliability Coordinating Council told the state’s Public Service Commission.

The capacity will come from repowering existing units and building 28 new electric generating plants with a total capacity of 5,750 MW. Much of the repowering and almost all of the 28 new generating units will be fired by natural gas. Repowering existing units, most of which burn gas and coal, will account for about 4,830 MW of the 10,500 MW total, the Florida Reliability Coordinating Council said. Most of the new generation will be requested by individual utilities via a national solicitation process, making the new units open to full competition.

The figures were contained in the Florida Reliability Coordinating Council’s “1998 Regional Load and Resource Plan,” submitted to and now under detailed review by the Florida Public Service Commission. Florida’s electricity demand is growing strong, about 2.4% annually. But not all of Florida’s key utilities will add significant capacity. In descending order of new capacity planned, the state’s utilities need the following new generation:

  • Seminole Electric Cooperative plans 1,500 MW in the form of ten 150-MW, gas-fired units, including six in 2002, three units in 2004 and one unit in 2005;
  • Jacksonville Electric Authority plans 1,052 MW of new generation and another 262 MW from repowering an existing unit;
  • Florida Power plans addition of 1,010 MW, including a 505-MW, gas-fired, combined-cycle unit in 2004 and a second 505-MW, gas-fired, combined-cycle unit in 2006;
  • Florida Power &Light calls for new capacity of 996 MW, broken into 448 MW in 2005, 448 MW in 2006, and a 100 MW unit in 2007; FP&ampL also plans repowering projects that will add another 2,138 MW;
  • Gulf Power needs 592 MW of new capacity, 532 MW in 2002 and a 30 MW unit in 2006, and a 30-MW unit in 2007;
  • Tampa Electric needs 540 MW, and;
  • Gainesville Regional Utilities plans to add 60 MW.

Theo Mullen

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