The much ballyhooed power generation race in Florida finally gotunderway last Monday as the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC)unanimously approved the first independent power combined cyclefacility under the Florida Power Plant Siting Act. The approvedapplication for a 529 MW facility was submitted by Calpine Corp.and Seminole Electric Cooperative.

The Osprey Energy Center will be located in Auburndale, FL, nextto Calpine’s existing 150 MW facility. Under the agreement, Calpinewill build the plant, while Seminole’s 10 member distributioncooperatives consisting of 1.5 million customers will have accessto the electricity for a period of 17 years, beginning in June2003. In addition, Calpine also reported that it will add a 100 MWpeaking unit to the existing 150 MW site.

Calpine said in October 2000 it hoped the contract to supplypower to the cooperative would support its petition forDetermination of Need before the PSC (see NGI, Oct. 23, 2000).Calpine said the project will now move toward final hearings andapproval by Florida’s Power Plant Siting Board, withground-breaking expected to occur later this year.

The Osprey project and the company’s 1,080 MW Blue Heron EnergyCenter account for Calpine’s previously announced $750 millionexpansion onslaught on the Florida electricity market. The BlueHeron project will be located in Indian River County, west of VeroBeach. The company also reinforced its presence in the state byopening an office in Tampa during 2000.

Alex Steis

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