FERC has awarded a certificate to Columbia Gas Transmission Corp. to upgrade compression and aging pipeline segments to supply natural gas to a planned generation plant in Maryland.

The facilities would fuel a 1,020 MW Rock Springs Power Plant to be constructed in Cecil County, MD, by project shippers, Virginia-based Rock Springs Generation LCC and ConEd subsidiary CED Rock Springs Inc. The electricity produced by the plant would be marketed to the PJM electric interchange and Virginia suppliers, the order said [CP02-142].

Columbia plans to replace 1,250 horsepower of aging, gas-fired compressor units with two 6,000 hp electric-power compressor units at its Downingtown Compressor Station, and replace existing segments of its mainline in Chester County, PA, with just over 9 miles of 24- and 10-inch diameter pipeline facilities.

Rock Springs Generation and CED Rock Springs each have contracted for up to 135,000 Dth/d of the capacity to be created by the project, for terms of up to 20 years, beginning no earlier than April 1, 2003.

Columbia estimated the cost of the proposed facilities would be $29.2 million.

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