Office of Energy Projects 

Energy Infrastructure Update 

For December 2010 

Page 1 of 5 

Natural Gas Highlights 

 Bison Pipeline placed Phase I of its Bison Pipeline Project in service. It will provide 407 MMcf/d of capacity from 

Gillette, Wyoming to an interconnection with Northern Border in Morton County, North Dakota. 

 TETCO received authorization to construct and operate the Hot Spring Lateral to provide 112 MMcf/d of capacity 

to KGen Hot Spring LLC’s generation facility in Hot Spring County, Arkansas. 

 National Fuel received authorization for its Line R, I and N Expansion and Replacement projects that will provide 

150 MMcf/d of capacity for the transportation of Marcellus Shale gas and other pipeline supplies. 

 TETCO and Algonquin filed and application to construct and operate its NJ-NY Expansion Project which will 

provide 800 MMcf/d of capacity for transportation of natural gas to the New York City area. 

 PetroLogistics filed an application to develop two new natural gas storage caverns totaling 18 Bcf at its existing 

storage facility in Iberville Parish, Louisiana. 

 Freeport LNG filed a request to begin a pre-filing process for a proposed 1.4 Bcf liquefaction and export plant to 

be located at the existing Freeport LNG terminal in Quintana Island, Texas. (Request granted in January 2011.) 

 

Natural Gas Activities in December 2010 

Status No. of 

Projects 

Storage 

Capacity 

(Bcf) 

Deliverability 

(MMcf/d) 

Capacity 

(MMcf/d) 

Miles of 

Pipeline 

Compression 

(HP) 

Pipeline 

Placed in Service 3 500.0 326.8 0 

Certificated 3 315.0 28.5 4,740 

Proposed 2 824.3 28.9 0 

Storage 

Placed in Service 0 0.0 0 0 

Certificated 1 2.36 0 0 

Proposed 2 19.2 1,150 27,000 

LNG 

Placed in Service 0 0 0 0 

Certificated 0 0 0 0 

Proposed 1 0 1,400 0 

 Source: Staff Database 

Natural Gas Activities through December 31, 2010 

Through December 31, 2009 

Status No. of 

Projects 

Storage 

Capacity 

(Bcf) 

Deliverability 

(MMcf/d) 

Capacity 

(MMcf/d) 

Miles of 

Pipeline 

Compression 

(HP) 

Pipeline 

Placed in Service 

through December 31, 2009 

30 

34 

11,865 

15,425 

1,188.9 

2,382.3 

448,688 

802,886 

Certificated 

through December 31, 2009 

24 

31 

9,236 

14,203 

1,589.1 

1,285.1 

522,194 

773,950 

Storage 

Placed in Service 

through December 31, 2009 

8 

12 

47.8 

69.8 

4,060 

3,806 

48,000 

39,028 

Certificated 

through December 31, 2009 

19 

12 

142.2 

128.1 

5,535 

6,464 

138,104 

168,275 

LNG 

Placed in Service 

through December 31, 2009 

1 

2 

4.22 

20.7 

405 

3,200 

0 

0 

Certificated 

through December 31, 2009 

0 

2 

0 

16.9 

0 

2,500 

0 

0 

 Source: Staff Database 
Office of Energy Projects 

Energy Infrastructure Update 

For December 2010 

Page 2 of 5 

Hydropower Highlights 

 On December 20, 2010, DHL staff issued an exemption from licensing for Slatersville Hydro, LLC’s proposed 

0.36-MW Slatersville Hydroelectric Project No. 13356. The project would be located on the Branch River in 

Providence County, Rhode Island. 

 On December 22, 2010, DHL staff issued an exemption from licensing for Wagon Wheel Associates’ proposed 

0.31-MW Humphreys Hydroelectric Project No. 13871. The project would be located on Goose Creek in Mineral 

County, Colorado. A complete application allowed staff to issue the exemption approximately 2 months after 

application filing. 

 On December 23, 2010, Fairlawn Hydroelectric Company, LLC filed an application for a major license for the 

proposed 14-MW Jennings Randolph Hydroelectric Project No. 12715. The project would be located at an 

existing U.S Army Corps of Engineers’ dam on the North Branch Potomac River in Garrett County, Maryland and 

Mineral County, West Virginia. 

 On December 29, 2010, Verdant Power, LLC filed a final pilot license application for the proposed 1-MW 

Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy Project No. 12611. The hydrokinetic project would be located in the East River in 

New York, New York. 

Hydropower Activities in December 2010 

Conventional Pumped Storage Hydrokinetic

Status

No. Capacity 

(MW) No. Capacity (MW) No. Capacity (MW) 

Total No. 

of Projects

Total 

Capacity 

(MW)

Filed 

License 1 14.000 0 0 1 1.000 2 15.000 

5-MW Exemption 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Capacity Amendment 1 20.000 0 0 0 0 1 20.000 

Conduit Exemption 1 1.300 0 0 0 0 1 1.300 

Issued 

License 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

5-MW Exemption 2 0.670 0 0 0 0 2 0.670 

Capacity Amendment 2 49.367 0 0 0 0 2 49.367 

Conduit Exemption 5 6.036 0 0 0 0 5 6.036 

Placed in Service 

License 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

5-MW Exemption 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Capacity Amendment 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Conduit Exemption 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

 Source: Staff Database 

Hydropower Activities Year to Date (through December 31, 2010) 

Conventional Pumped Storage Hydrokinetic

Status

No. Capacity 

(MW) No. Capacity (MW) No. Capacity (MW) 

Total No. 

of Projects

Total 

Capacity 

(MW)

Filed 

License 9 76.905 0 0 2 2.500 11 79.405 

5-MW Exemption 3 1.165 0 0 1 0.00005 4 1.16505 

Capacity Amendment 17 166.438 0 0 0 0 17 166.438 

Conduit Exemption 15 8.572 0 0 0 0 15 8.572 

Issued 

License 6 15.297 0 0 0 0 6 15.297 

5-MW Exemption 7 2.1171 0 0 0 0 7 2.1171 
Office of Energy Projects 

Energy Infrastructure Update 

For December 2010 

Page 3 of 5 

Conventional Pumped Storage Hydrokinetic Total Total No. Status Capacity Capacity Capacity Capacity of Projects

No. (MW) No. (MW) No. (MW) (MW)

Capacity Amendment 12 110.234 0 0 0 0 12 110.234 

Conduit Exemption 14 23.347 0 0 0 0 14 23.347 

Placed in Service 

License 3 15.540 0 0 0 0 3 15.540 

5-MW Exemption 2 0.270 0 0 0 0 2 0.270 

Capacity Amendment 1 0.600 0 0 0 0 1 0.600 

Conduit Exemption 2 0.763 0 0 0 0 2 0.763 

 Source: Staff Database 

Electric Generation Highlights 

 Pacific Gas & Electric’s Colusa Generating Station near Maxwell, California began commercial operation on 

December 22, 2010. The 660-MW gas-fired facility – incorporating the latest technology – uses less fuel, emits 

35 percent less carbon dioxide and uses 96 percent less water than older conventional power plants. 

 PowerSouth’s McIntosh Power Plant’s second set of two natural gas units went commercial on December 2, 

2010, with a capacity of 370 MW. The McIntosh Power Plant, in the state of Alabama, is unique in having a 100-

MW Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) unit, the only one of its kind in the U.S. and one of only two in the 

world. The McIntosh CAES unit has been commercial since 1991. Total McIntosh capacity is 710 MW. 

 Sempra’s Copper Mountain Solar is now the largest utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) plant in the U.S. The 48-MW 

plant in Boulder City, Nevada came online on December 1, 2010. It is comprised of 775,000 First Solar thin-film 

PV panels which converts sunlight directly into electricity. The power from Copper Mountain Solar is sold to 

Pacific Gas & Electric under a 20-year contract. 

 CPV Renewable Energy Company’s 152-MW Keenan II Wind Farm in Northwest Oklahoma began commercial 

operation on December 22, 2010. Keenan II is comprised of 66 Siemens 2.3 MW wind turbines. The power is 

sold to Oklahoma Gas & Electric under a 20-year contract. 

 Edison Mission Group’s 150-MW Cedro Hill Wind Farm in southern Texas began commercial operation on 

December 23, 2010. The Cedro Hill project is comprised of 100 GE 1.5 MW wind turbines. The power generated 

is sold under a 20-year contract to CPS Energy of San Antonio. 

New Generation In-Service (New Build and Expansion)

December 2010 January – December 2010 

Cumulative 

January – December 2009 

Cumulative 

Primary Fuel Type No. of 

Plants 

Installed Capacity 

(MW) 

No. of 

Plants 

Installed Capacity 

(MW) 

No. of 

Plants 

Installed Capacity 

(MW) 

Coal 0 0 25 6,682 9 3,574 

Natural Gas 3 1,030 85 7,324 71 10,633 

Nuclear 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Oil 0 0 3 5 29 69 

Water 1 0 13 23 12 18 

Wind 5 469 63 3,690 150 9,449 

Biomass 5 6 58 283 143 276 

Geothermal Steam 0 0 1 50 8 122 

Solar 10 60 63 212 88 286 

Waste Heat 0 0 5 104 7 275 

Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Total 24 1,565 316 18,372 517 24,704 

Source: Data derived from Ventyx Global LLC, Velocity Suite. 
Office of Energy Projects 

Energy Infrastructure Update 

For December 2010 

Page 4 of 5 

Total Installed Operating Generation Capacity 

Primary Fuel Type Installed Capacity (GW) % of Total Capacity 

Coal 343.97 30.37% 

Natural Gas 462.12 40.80% 

Nuclear 108.31 9.56% 

Oil 61.24 5.41% 

Water 99.10 8.75% 

Wind 38.50 3.40% 

Biomass 13.26 1.17% 

Geothermal Steam 3.30 0.29% 

Solar 1.12 0.10% 

Waste Heat 0.82 0.07% 

Other 0.94 0.08% 

Total 1,132.68 100.00% 

Source: Data derived from Ventyx Global LLC, Velocity Suite. 

Electric Transmission Highlights 

 In December, Tennessee Valley Authority energized the second circuit of the 9 mile, 230kV Center Point to Moss 

Lake transmission line in northern Georgia. 

 In December, Dominion Virginia Power released its Virginia Offshore Wind Integration Study. The study found 

that it is possible to interconnect approximately 4,500 MW of total installed capability of offshore wind generation 

facilities in the Virginia Beach area. 

Transmission Projects Completed Proposed 

Transmission Projects 

December 2010 December 2009 January - December 2010 January - December 2009 In-Service by 

December 2012 Voltage 

(kV) 

Line Length (miles) 

≤230 18.0 259.5 699.8 957.5 5,960.2 

345 0 119.0 628.5 659.7 3,645.6 

500 0 27.1 112.0 160.1 3,139.6 

765 0 0 0 0 250.0 

Total U.S. 18.0 405.6 1,440.3 1,777.3 12,995.4 
Office of Energy Projects 

Energy Infrastructure Update 

For December 2010 

Page 5 of 5 

Transmission Projects Completed in 

2009 and 2010 

Transmission Projects with a Proposed 

In-Service Date through November 2012 

Source: Data derived from Staff Database and U.S. Electric Transmission Projects ©2009 The C-Three Group, LLC 

Disclaimer: This Report contains analyses, presentations and conclusions that may be based on or derived from the data sources cited, but do not 

necessarily reflect the positions or recommendations of the data providers.