Williams’ Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Corp. (Transco) has filed at FERC for its Rock Springs Expansion Project, which would carry fuel to a new gas-fired power plant in Cecil County, MD.

Rock Springs would involve construction of a 11.17-mile 20-inch diameter pipeline lateral connecting Transco to the Old Dominion Electric Cooperative’s proposed Wildcat Point Generation Facility (see Daily GPI, May 13, 2013). The lateral would have capacity of about 192,000 Dth/d. The power plant would have capacity of about 1,000 MW, enough to power 390,000 homes in the region.

The project also would include a 4,000 hp electric compressor and metering facility at the end of the lateral in Cecil County, as well as other piping, valve equipment and modifications to existing facilities. The lateral could begin construction in August 2015 and have an August 2016 target in-service.

“The proposed Project will enable Transco to provide 192,000 Dth/d of new firm transportation capacity from Transco’s 210 Market Pool in Mercer County, NJ, to the recently authorized Wildcat Plant,” the pipeline said. “Transco’s firm transportation service for operation of the Wildcat Plant will allow [Old Dominion] to add needed economic and efficient power to the electricity resources currently serving the region.”

An open season for the project ended last September. Transco has a binding precedent agreement with Old Dominion for the project’s entire capacity.

Wildcat Point Generation is named for a popular cliff along the Susquehanna River 3.5 miles west of the proposed facility. The plant is to be adjacent to the Rock Springs Generation Facility, which produces 672 MW. Wildcat was approved last May by the Maryland Public Service Commission. Construction is expected to begin late this year or early in 2015.

According to Old Dominion, Maryland imports 42% of its power from outside the state, making it the fifth-largest energy importer in the United States. Two-thirds of the power generated in Maryland comes from plants that are at least 30 years old and approaching retirement, the company said.