Tag Archives: Citrus County

Citrus County FL passes ordinance banning fracking 2016-06-14

Not just a resolution, an ordinance, which is a law: no fracking in Citrus County, Florida.

Jim Tatum, Our Santa Fe River, 14 June 2016, Citrus County Approves Fracking Ban,

Commissioners Dennis Damato, Ronald Kitchen, Joe Meek, Scott Adams, and Scott Carnahan unanimously passed a ban-fracking ordinance. The ordinance was amended to include all the county, both incorporated and non-incorporated areas, skillfully inserted by the able and prepared county attorney Denise A. Dymond Lyn.

The text of the ordinance is Continue reading Citrus County FL passes ordinance banning fracking 2016-06-14

Strom Crystal River LNG export approval 2014-10-21

Strom can ramp up its LNG export to the Gulf from Crystal River an order of magnitude with its initial units, Legal Style and then add more units, all without any further approval by anybody, says this Order from the U.S. DoE Office of Fossil Energy, which also appears to permit bomb trains shipping LNG anywhere in Florida, or maybe even other states, with some of the fracked methane probably coming from Sabal Trail if built. This FE Order was issued 21 October 2014, one month to the day before Sabal Trail filed in the FERC formal process in 21 November 2014. Yet not a word was said about Strom or any other LNG export by FERC or Sabal Trail in any of the FERC Scoping Meetings I went to, as I pointed out at the one 1 October 2015 in Lake City, Florida.

FE is even more a rubberstamp regulatory-captured lapdog of the fossil fuel industry than is FERC, and Strom is setting up to require no further approvals by them or anybody else: Continue reading Strom Crystal River LNG export approval 2014-10-21

Strom asks FE to move LNG export application location

Dismissed by FERC for lack of payment? No worries, Strom, Inc.’s other LNG export application with the 300x153 Duke nuke and gas plant down Power Line Road, in Strom Inc. moves to Crystal River, by John S. Quarterman, for SpectraBusters.org, 29 September 2014 FE is still active, and Strom asked to move the location, too, to Crystal River. Just east on Power Line Road from Duke Energy’s permantly-closed Crystal River nuke and proposed new gas plant. Strom says it would get the fracked methane from either FGT or Sabal Trail, which is either an intrastate or an interstate pipeline depending on which of Strom’s sentences you believe. No, Strom’s CEO’s name is not Loki; it’s just pronounced that way, and spelled Lokey.

Remember in July FERC dismissed Strom’s Starke LNG application for lack of fee payment. The Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy (FE) apparently has no such scruples, since its STROM INC, FE DKT. NO. 14-56-LNG was updated 29 September 2014 with Strom Inc. – Amendment to Application to Reflect New Location of the Plant, Continue reading Strom asks FE to move LNG export application location

Duke Energy doesn’t care whether Sabal Trail pipeline is ever built

Raining on Spectra’s pipeline parade, Duke Energy’s Citrus County power plant open house once again emphasized Duke doesn’t care if Spectra and FPL’s fracked methane pipeline is ever built. And it’s not just because of Duke’s power plant that natural gas prices may go up soon: Sabal Trail feeding methane to already-authorized LNG export operations in Florida would also push prices up. So why build that useless Sabal Trail boondoggle? Why build that Duke gas plant, for that matter; why not go straight to solar power in the Sunshine State?

Fred Hiers wrote for Ocala.com 14 July 2014, Utility will build plant with or without new pipeline, Continue reading Duke Energy doesn’t care whether Sabal Trail pipeline is ever built

Duke Citrus County methane plant Open House 2014-07-10

Duke Energy to hold Crystal River, FL gas plant meeting same day as Leesburg, GA pipeline hearing.

Curiously Duke is not calling it the Crystal River plant, even though it’s right next to Duke’s failed Crystal River nuke. Duke first said this plant would get its gas from the Sabal Trail pipeline and then said nevermind, that wouldn’t be needed, even though Sabal Trail has a Citrus County offshoot pipeline as part of its $3 billion project. Now this letter says it’s Sabal Trail fracked methane for Duke again. Hey, instead, why not build solar power in the Sunshine State?

Some landowners are getting a letter like the one pictured. It’s basically the same as this Duke Energy PR of 16 June 2014, Open house scheduled on proposed combined-cycle natural gas plant in Citrus County, Fla., Continue reading Duke Citrus County methane plant Open House 2014-07-10

Duke Energy doesn’t need Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline

Even Duke Energy thinks the Sabal Trail pipeline is not necessary.

Pat Faherty wrote 30 May 2014 for the Citrus County Chronicle, Natural-gas plant not tied to pipeline completion (I added the images and links),

Construction of Duke Energy’s $1.5 billion power plant in Citrus County is not dependent on completion of the controversial Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline.

Duke filed a petition Tuesday with the Florida Public Service Commission for an affirmative determination of need for its Citrus County combined-cycle power plant.

That’s the same 27 May 2014 filing that was supposed to show Sabal Trail fueling Duke’s plant, but Continue reading Duke Energy doesn’t need Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline

Duke gas plants to be fueled by Sabal Trail fracked methane

Tuesday May 27th Duke plans to file with FL PSC for approval to use Sabal Trail fracked methane at its former Crystal River nuclear site in Citrus County, Florida, and apparently for two other Duke plants in Suwannee County and Polk County. The Citrus County Commissioners have a Comprehensive Plan change for Duke on their agenda for that same day, May 27th, for a Public Hearing June 10th.

We already knew last December that Duke’s usual spokesman said Sabal Trail “plans to provide the gas” for Duke’s plant, which explains why Sabal Trail proposed last November a Citrus County Pipeline that goes right to Duke’s site. And now we have further confirmation.

Sabal Trail’s current top news story is by Robby Douglas in Citrus Daily 15 May 2014, Duke to build natural gas plant here, close coal plants, Continue reading Duke gas plants to be fueled by Sabal Trail fracked methane

EPA questions about Sabal Trail in Ocala newspaper

Similar to the coverage in the Moultrie Observer (it even mentions the closed Lowndes County landfill), plus some local observations and some quotes by Beth Gordon.

Bill Thompson wrote for the Ocala StarBanner yesterday, EPA questions gas pipeline planned through North Central Florida,

Finally, the EPA wants the report to incorporate the project’s compliance with the federal Clean Air Act. That would be a concern for residents near Dunnellon.

The company intends to build a compressor station south of the town, near State Road 200.

Environmental regulators seek to learn how much greenhouse gases and potentially hazardous pollutants will be emitted at such sites.

Continue reading EPA questions about Sabal Trail in Ocala newspaper

Duke plant in Citrus County likely Sabal Trail gas pipe customer

Spectra’s Sabal Trail Transmission wants to slice through Alabama, Georgia, and north Florida to get to FPL and Duke gas plants in Florida. That helps explain the Citrus County Pipeline offshoot tacked onto the end of Sabal Trail’s 15 November 2013 update to FERC.

Bill Thompson wrote for the Ocala StarBanner 14 December 2014, Duke Energy to build gas plant tied to Sabal Trial pipeline,

The proposed interstate pipeline that will slice through Marion County in delivering natural gas to an Orlando-area depot apparently has a customer ready.

Duke Energy plans to build a new natural gas-fired power plant in Citrus County, which is expected to be in operation not long after Sabal Trail Transmission LLC, the pipeline builder, completes its 465-mile link to gas reserves flowing through east central Alabama.

Duke Energy spokesman Sterling Ivey said the company had within the past week received six bids to build a facility in Citrus, and it is keeping open the option to do the work itself.

This is the same Sterling Ivey who claimed Continue reading Duke plant in Citrus County likely Sabal Trail gas pipe customer