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PCCA Journal|1

st

Quarter 2010

32

News Briefs

Continued from page 30

T

he Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission (FERC) recently

approved Florida Gas Trans-

mission’s (FGT) $2.45 billion

Phase VIII Expansion Project to

serve natural gas-fired electric gen-

erators and utilities in Florida.

In authorizing the project, FERC

imposed 43 conditions requiring FGT

to mitigate any potential adverse

environmental impacts identified by

FERC staff after its analysis of the

proposal.

FGT will add more than 483 miles

of pipeline loops, laterals, and main-

line and install 213,600 horsepower

of compression at eight existing

and one new compressor stations.

The company also will acquire the

existing 22.7-mile Martin Lateral,

currently owned by Florida Power &

Light Company (FPL), that will serve

power plants located in Manatee,

Martin, Miami-Dade, and Suwannee

counties. The expansion will create

820,000 MMBtu per day of capacity

on FGT’s system from Alabama to

Florida.

FGT will initiate service in two

phases timed to meet customers’ en-

ergy needs. The Phase 1 facilities are

scheduled to begin service by July 1,

2010, and involve construction and

operation of the Manatee Lateral and

the FPL Manatee Metering and Regu-

lating Station to serve FPL’s Manatee

Power Plant in Florida.

Phase 2 service is scheduled to

start by April 1, 2011. It involves

construction and operation of the

remaining Phase VIII Expansion

Project facilities.

centers and establish four new

computer centers.

North Carolina, MCNC:

$28.2

million infrastructure grant with

an additional $11.7 million in

matching funds and in-kind

contributions to build a 494-mile

middle-mile broadband network

passing almost half the population

of North Carolina in 37 counties.

The network will build new rings

in the western and eastern regions

of the state, which will connect

to 685 miles of existing infra-

structure in the urbanized central

region, expanding the reach of

the North Carolina Research and

Education Network, an established

broadband service for community

anchor institutions in the state.

NTIA recently announced that a

second round of BTOP applications

will be accepted through March 15.

FERC Explores Efficient

Integration of Renewables into the Grid

T

he Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

(FERC) announced in January that it is taking a

fresh look at regulatory policies to integrate the

rapidly increasing number of variable energy

resources into the nation’s power grid in the most ef-

ficient and non-discriminatory manner while maintain-

ing power system reliability.

FERC issued a Notice of Inquiry seeking public com-

ment on whether to reform any of its rules or proce-

dures as the nation’s generation portfolio expands to

include more variable energy resources such as wind,

solar, or non-storage hydro generating plants. Growing

use of these types of facilities presents unique chal-

lenges to the electric power industry, such as location

constraints and limited ability to dispatch, but also

offers benefits such as low marginal energy costs and

reduced greenhouse gas and other emissions.

“We are seeing a rapid expansion in the use of re-

newable energy technologies around the country that

have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

and electricity costs for consumers,” FERC Chairman

Jon Wellinghoff said. “To accommodate that expan-

sion, it is our job to ensure that FERC has in place the

market and operational reforms necessary to ensure

that all wholesale electricity tariffs are just, reasonable,

and not unduly discriminatory.”

Commenters should take a broad look at the is-

sues concerning the integration of variable generation

resources and should address any effects of variable

energy resources on the following subject areas:

Data and reporting requirements, including accurate

forecasting tools,

Scheduling flexibility and incentives for accurate

scheduling of variable energy resources,

Forward market structure and reliability commit-

ments,

Balancing Authority Area size and coordination,

Suitability of reserve products,

Capacity market reforms, and

Redispatch and curtailment practices.

FERC Approves Florida Gas Expansion Project