Just a week after receiving its final Federal Energy RegulatoryCommission certificate to proceed (see Daily GPI, Feb. 22),Gulfstream Natural Gas System LLC has an agreement with FloridaPower Corp. to provide firm natural gas transportation service tosome of its electric generating plants, including the Hines EnergyComplex in Polk County.

The Hines Energy Complex came on line in 1999 with 482 MW, and asecond 495 MW phase begins operation in November 2003. TheGulfstream agreement calls for it to provide service to Hines 2 andother Florida Power plants.

Florida Power CEO William Habermeyer Jr. said the “Gulfstreampipeline is fulfilling a demonstrated need in the state foradditional natural gas delivery. Having the pipeline in place isintegral to our ability to expand the electric generationinfrastructure to meet the current and anticipated needs of ourgrowing customer base.”

Gulfstream is a joint interstate natural gas pipelinedevelopment of Williams and Duke Energy, which purchased the systemfrom The Coastal Corp. for $1.7 billion. It is scheduled to be inservice in June 2002. The proposed 744-mile pipe will extend fromMississippi and Alabama across the Gulf of Mexico to serve Florida.Florida’s energy demands are expected to increase 25% by 2007.

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