ANOTHER UPDATE ON FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT CO.’S NATURAL GAS PIPELINE

ANOTHER UPDATE ON FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT CO.’S NATURAL GAS PIPELINE

Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC, the company contracted by Florida Power & Light Co. to build the biggest part of a major interstate natural gas pipeline extending through most of the peninsula of Florida, continues to work towards completing the planning phase for the pipeline. Sabal Trail has been reviewing study corridors and engaging with stakeholders as part of its efforts to establish a preferred route for the pipeline, and the company plans to submit a formal application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) by the end of this year. Approval by FERC is the last major regulatory step required for the pipeline, which is expected to be up and running by May of 2017. Although FERC’s approval may be subject to route changes, many North Central Florida landowners and residents continue to voice concern over the current route and the effect it may have on their land and their communities. FERC has held several public meetings to receive public input related to the pipeline and its route.
As an example of an instance of landowner concern, click here for a Gainesville Sun video of landowners voicing their concern at the particular site where Sabal Trail plans for the pipeline to cross under the Santa Fe River. You can also view Sabal Trail’s maps of areas in Florida affected by the pipeline here. Finally, click this link for a news story pointing out a somewhat unique, but significant, reason for opposing the pipeline’s route.