Florida Gas Transmission may not be the only interstatetrunkline in Florida if Williams-Transco succeeds in its plan foran underwater pipeline from offshore Mobile Bay through the Gulf ofMexico to landfall near Tampa on Florida’s southwest coast.

Michael Cathey, Williams manager of project development forsouthern markets, said the company has been monitoring the Floridamarket for the last couple of years. He cited the recent hot summeras heightening awareness of the need for additional powergenerating capacity in Florida. Also, factors include recentEnvironmental Protection Agency regulations favoring gas and arecent report calling for an additional 10,000 MW of generatingcapacity in Florida by 2007.

Cathey said FGT has about 1.5 Bcf/d of capacity in Florida now.”And we basically would be targeting the incremental load on top ofthat, the growth.”

And there’s plenty of growth. Much of the increased gas demandin Florida is expected to fuel new gas-fired power generation. Inmid-July, the Florida Reliability Coordinating Council submitted aplan to the Florida Public Service Commission outlining the needfor more than 10,000 MW of additional power generation capacitywithin the state by 2007. If fueled entirely by gas, this wouldrequire an additional 1.5 Bcf/d of capacity.

Power demand is soaring in Florida, particularly in thesouthwestern portion, where currently there are no gas pipelines.That’s going to change soon, however. The state’s only interstategas trunkline, Florida Gas Transmission (FGT), recently announcedplans for its fourth expansion since going into service (See NGIOct. 5, 1998). The cornerstone of the new project is a 100-milesouthern extension to Fort Myers from existing facilities nearTampa.

Williams’ pipe would run from Transco Station 82 in the MobileBay area offshore to landfall in the Tampa area. Cathey saidWilliams is not targeting the Fort Meyers area initially but coulddo so in the future. Williams is planning an open season later thisyear and hopes to have a new pipe in service in 2002 for the summercooling season.

“Williams looks forward to pursuing expansion opportunities inwhat has become one of the fastest growing natural gas markets inthe country,” said Frank Ferazzi, vice president of customerservice and rates, Williams Gas Pipeline-Transco. “As always,Williams is committed to responding to the market’s rapidlychanging needs across the nation and providing economical solutionsto satisfy those needs while minimizing public and environmentalimpact.”

Florida Power &amp Light Co. (FPL) has formed an alliance withFGT. FPL plans to re-power its Fort Myers generation plant insouthwest Florida by 2001 and expects to need more than 180 MMcf/dof additional gas supply as well as about 100 miles of new 24- or30-inch diameter pipeline, which FGT has agreed to provide. The newFGT extension would begin at existing facilities in HillsboroughCounty near Tampa and run through Polk, Hardee, DeSoto, Charlotteand Lee counties to Fort Myers.

FPL plans to add 2,500 MW of gas-fired power, the majority ofwhich will be added at Fort Myers. The plant will undergo a majorre-powering over the next three years that will triple its capacitythrough the addition of new gas-fired turbines. By 2001, FPLexpects to need more than 180 MMcf/d of additional gas supply tofuel the 1,400 MW plant. Electricity needs of southwest Florida aregrowing 40% faster than the rest of FPL’s service territory, andre-powering with new gas turbines offers the best opportunity tomeet that need, the utility said. While FGT has almost 5,000 milesof pipeline to serve the needs of Florida, none of that gas reachessouthwest Florida.

Joe Fisher, Houston

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