Sabal Trail says pipeline is up and running
Published 9:10 pm Wednesday, July 5, 2017
LAKE MARY, Fla. — Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC, a joint venture of Spectra Energy Partners, LP, NextEra Energy, Inc., and Duke Energy, announced Wednesday that on Monday, July 3, it placed into commercial service its pipeline system and facilities from Alexander City, Ala., to the Central Florida Hub in Kissimmee, Fla.
“Sabal Trail has successfully navigated a rigorous environmental permitting process over the past four years while working with landowners and key stakeholders to construct this new pipeline system,” said Bill Yardley, president and chairman of the board of Spectra Energy Partners. “With the completion of this project, Florida Power & Light and Duke Energy will realize needed firm natural gas transportation services to meet their power generation requirements. We are pleased to reach this critical milestone and serve our customers in the Southeast U.S.”
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Sabal Trail will provide 400,000 dekatherms per day of firm transportation to Florida Power & Light in time for them to meet their peak cooling season, Sabal Trail officials said. Additionally, Duke Energy Florida will accept 300,000 dekatherms of firm delivery daily once its Citrus County combined-cycle natural gas plant is ready to receive natural gas.
The 515-mile pipeline will have the capacity to deliver approximately 1.1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day to the Southeast U.S. once approved future compression expansions occur, the officials said.
For more information on Sabal Trail, visit www.sabaltrail.com.
The pipeline has been controversial at many points along its length — including in Colquitt County, where the pipeline enters north of Sale City and cuts southeast to Brooks County. Landowners in several places fought eminent domain efforts, while environmental groups voiced concerns about the effects a leak would have on water sources, especially the Floridan Aquifer.
Suwannee County, Fla., was the site of numerous protests with Suwannee State Park shutting its gates after reaching capacity during a January protest near where the pipeline crosses the Suwannee River. Two days later, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, eight protesters were arrested at the park.
