Florida

Florida Southeast Connection LLC (FSC), a unit of NextEra Energy Inc. — which is a partner with Spectra Energy Partners LLC in the Sabal Trail Transmission LLC project — is proposing a 126-mile pipeline from Sabal Trail to serve Florida Power & Light Co.’s (FPL) Martin Clean Energy Center near Indiantown, FL.

Duke Energy Florida is planning construction of a 1,640 MW combined-cycle natural gas plant in Citrus County and two simple-cycle combustion turbine generators at its Suwannee Plant at Live Oak, FL.

The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) on Thursday unanimously approved Florida Power & Light Co.’s (FPL) contracts for a planned 600-mile pipeline system to bring more natural gas into the state.

Offshore operators on Thursday were bringing nonessential personnel to shore and shuttering some production facilities after National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasters said Tropical Storm Karen could reach hurricane strength by Friday.

Duke Energy Floridaplans to issue on Oct. 8 a request for proposals (RFP) to supply 1,640 megawatts of generating capacity beginning in 2018. Proposals will compete with Duke Energy’s self-build option consisting of a highly-efficient, combined-cycle, natural gas unit to be located in Citrus County FL. “We have a need for significant generating capacity in 2018 and through the RFP process, we will be able to identify the most cost-effective, safe and reliable generation source for our customers,” said Alex Glenn, Duke Energy state president for Florida. Information on the RFP is available atwww.duke-energy.com/floridarfp. An RFP pre-release meeting is planned for Oct. 2, and a meeting for interested bidders will be held on Oct. 18.

FERC on Thursday approved a Houston-based start-up company’s request for additional time to complete construction and place into service the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) peak-shaving storage facility in Florida.

Units of Kinder Morgan’s El Paso Pipeline Partners LP business said that during recent open seasons, plenty of customers stepped up for incremental long-term transportation capacity from the Marcellus Shale region to serve markets in Georgia, South Carolina and northern Florida.

With strong state legislative support, the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) on Tuesday approved new commercial natural gas vehicle (NGV) programs for three Chesapeake Utilities Corp. companies operating in the state.

Northern Natural Gas Co. on behalf of its business, Southern Natural Gas and Florida Gas Transmission, has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for approval to abandon in place the Matagorda Offshore Pipeline System (MOPS), which includes offshore facilities and onshore facilities in Texas because they are “grossly underutilized.” During April, the MOPS system transported less than 6,500 Dth/d, a fraction of the system’s original design capacity of 480,000 Dth/d, Northern Natural said. In August 2012, FERC approved Northern’s request to abandon the MOPS Phase III facilities; Northern now wants authority to abandon the first two phases, which consist of about 55 miles of 24-inch diameter pipeline that begin at Matagorda Block 686 and continue to onshore facilities at Tivoli, TX. In addition to dwindling pipeline volumes, evidence demonstrates that production declines are permanent, Northern said. FERC denied Northern’s original plea to abandon the Phase I and II facilities in an April 2011 order. At that time, there were 17 production points (out of the original 30), and now there are only four production points tied into the MOPS system, Northern said.