To complement Southern Energy’s new power generation plantscheduled for construction in Zeeland, MI, Semco Energy Inc.announced plans yesterday to build a natural gas line to serve thefacility. Southern Energy plans to build a 830-MW plant to supplythe growing demand for electricity in the upper Midwest (see NGIMay 12). Semco’s gas line will connect the plant with ANRPipeline’s interstate mainline system.

Construction of the natural-gas fired plant is expected to breakground this month, and the power station will begin commercialoperation in June 2001, with 300 MW of capacity and an additional500 MW beginning in June 2003, according to officials. SouthernEnergy plans to use advanced natural gas combined-cycle technologyand state-of-the-art emission control equipment at the facility.

Semco Energy’s president and chief operating officer Carl Portersaid the coming Southern Energy project is expected to benefit notjust the community, but the region as well. He said that Semco,based in Port Huron, MI, will own and operate the interconnectingline for a 12-year period, and Maverick Pipeline Services Inc., asubsidiary of Semco, will handle the complete turnkey constructionproject. Semco officials said that preliminary work is alreadyongoing, with construction on the gas line expected to be completedby early next year.

Semco Energy is a diversified energy and infrastructure companywith two natural gas divisions. It provides more than 350,000customers in Michigan and Alaska, and has two subsidiaries, SemcoEnergy Ventures and Aretech Information Services Inc. Semco EnergyVentures owns and operates businesses involved in gas engineeringand quality assurance services, propane distribution, intrastatepipelines and natural gas storage in various regions of thecountry. Aretech Information Services is a southeasternMichigan-based information technology company that specializes inoutsourcing to the mid-range computer market.

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