Office of Energy Projects 

Energy Infrastructure Update 

For August 2011 

Page 1 of 5 

Natural Gas Highlights 

 The Commission vacated the authorizations issued to Ingleside Energy and San Patricio Pipeline, and to Creole Trail 

LNG to construct and operate LNG terminals and pipeline facilities near Ingleside, TX and in Cameron Parish, LA. 

 East Tennessee was authorized to place into service its Northeastern Tennessee Project which will provide 150 

MMcf/d of firm transportation to TVA’s new John Sevier combined-cycle plant in Hawkins County, TN. 

 Dominion received authorization to construct and operate its Northeast Expansion Project which will provide 200 

MMcf/d of new capacity for the transportation of PA gas supplies to markets in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. 

 Transco received authorization to construct and operate its Mid-South Expansion Project. This project will provide 

225 MMcf/d of new mainline capacity for the transportation of natural gas from Alabama to North Carolina. 

 Leader One received authorization to convert a depleted gas production field to a storage facility in Adams County, 

CO. The project is designed to provide 11 Bcf of working gas capacity. 

 Golden Triangle Storage filed an application to develop two new salt dome caverns at its existing storage facility in 

Jefferson County, TX. This development will expand the working gas capacity by 16.6 Bcf. 

Natural Gas Activities in August 2011 

Status No. of 

Projects 

Storage 

Capacity 

(Bcf) 

Deliverability 

(MMcf/d) 

Capacity 

(MMcf/d) 

Miles of 

Pipeline 

Compression 

(HP) 

Pipeline 

Placed in Service 2 150.0 54.4 27,000 

Certificated 3 435.4 22.6 82,220 

Proposed 0 0.0 0.0 0 

Storage 

Placed in Service 1 2.0 0 0 

Certificated 3 13.0 295 9,300 

Proposed 1 16.6 0 0 

LNG 

Placed in Service 0 0 0 0 

Certificated 0 0 0 0 

Proposed 0 0 0 0 

 Source: Staff Database 

Natural Gas Activities through August 31, 2011 

Through August 31, 2010 

Status No. of 

Projects 

Storage 

Capacity 

(Bcf) 

Deliverability 

(MMcf/d) 

Capacity 

(MMcf/d) 

Miles of 

Pipeline 

Compression 

(HP) 

Pipeline 

Placed in Service 

through August 31, 2010 

16 

13 

8,210.5 

5,507.7 

1,484.5 

280.2 

645,771 

168,405 

Certificated 

through August 31, 2010 

11 

16 

2,707.7 

8,335.4 

260.7 

1,476.4 

192,605 

439,454 

Storage 

Placed in Service 

through August 31, 2010 

6 

9 

27.3 

52.4 

2,545 

1,721 

6,283 

8,180 

Certificated 

through August 31, 2010 

10 

13 

151.3 

120.7 

3,495 

4,763 

101,010 

122,404 

LNG 

Placed in Service 

through August 31, 2010 

1 

1 

16.4 

4.22 

2,000 

400 

0 

0 

Certificated 

through August 31, 2010 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

 Source: Staff Database 
Office of Energy Projects 

Energy Infrastructure Update 

For August 2011 

Page 2 of 5 

Hydropower Highlights 

 On August 26, 2011, OEP staff issued an original license for East Texas Electric Cooperative, Inc.’s proposed 24-MW 

Lake Livingston Hydroelectric Project No. 12632. The project would be located on the Trinity River Authority’s 

existing Lake Livingston Dam on the Trinity River near the city of Livingston, in San Jacinto, Polk, Trinity, and Walker 

counties, Texas. The Cooperative proposes to build a headrace channel, an intake structure, three new penstocks, a 

powerhouse, a tailrace channel, a 3.2-mile-long transmission line, a switchyard, a service building, and several new 

paved access roads. 

 On August 30, 2011, Copper Valley Electric Association, Inc. filed a final license application prepared under the 

Alternate Licensing Process for the proposed 6.5-MW Allison Creek Hydroelectric Project No. 13124. The project 

would be located on Allison Creek and Port Valdez near the City of Valdez, Alaska. 

 Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC filed an application for non capacity amendment of license for the 26.175-MW East Fork 

Project, located on Tuckasegee River and Wolf Creek, in Jackson County, North Carolina. The licensee proposes to 

add a 0.395-MW minimum flow unit at the Cedar Cliff Development. 

 Public Utility District of Snohomish County, Washington, filed an application for exemption from licensing (conduit) for 

the proposed Rucker Hill Project, located on the 19-mile-long raw water line from Chaplain Reservoir in city of 

Everett’s water system, in Snohomish County, Washington. The project will have a capacity of 0.735 MW under 240 

feet of head and an annual energy generation of 6,117 MWh 

 Jordan Whittaker filed an application for exemption from licensing (conduit) for the 0.460 MW Eightmile Project, 

located on the applicant’s irrigation pipeline in Lemhi County, Idaho. The licensee proposes to develop 0.460 MW 

capacity and the annual energy generation will be 1,450 MWh. 

Hydropower Activities in August 2011 

Conventional Pumped Storage Hydrokinetic

Status

No. Capacity 

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

Total No. 

of Projects

Total 

Capacity 

(MW)

Filed 

License 1 6.500 0 0 0 0 1 6.500 

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

Capacity Amendment 1 0.395 0 0 0 0 1 0.395 

Conduit Exemption 2 1.195 0 0 0 0 2 1.195 

Issued 

License 1 24.000 0 0 0 0 1 24.000 

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 

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 

 
Office of Energy Projects 

Energy Infrastructure Update 

For August 2011 

Page 3 of 5 

Hydropower Activities Year to Date (through August 31, 2011) 

Conventional Pumped Storage Hydrokinetic

Status

No. Capacity 

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

Total No. 

of Projects

Total 

Capacity 

(MW)

Filed 

License 10 342.923 0 0 0 0 10 342.923 

5-MW Exemption 4 1.346 0 0 0 0 4 1.346 

Capacity Amendment 8 56.645 0 0 0 0 8 56.645 

Conduit Exemption 8 7.249 0 0 0 0 8 7.249 

Issued 

License 7 72.910 0 0 0 0 7 72.910 

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

Capacity Amendment 9 34.897 0 0 0 0 9 34.897 

Conduit Exemption 4 1.725 0 0 0 0 4 1.725 

Placed in Service 

License 2 13.000 0 0 0 0 2 13.000 

5-MW Exemption 2 0.375 0 0 0 0 2 0.375 

Capacity Amendment 1 3.000 0 0 0 0 1 3.000 

Conduit Exemption 4 1.365 0 0 0 0 4 1.365 

 Source: Staff Database 

Electric Generation Highlights 

 Basin Electric Power Cooperative and Wyoming Municipal Power Agency’s coal-fired 390-MW Dry Fork Station near 

Gillette, Wyoming came online. Sub-bituminous coal from the nearby Dry Fork Mine will fuel the Dry Fork Station via 

a mile long conveyor system. 

 Formosa Plastics Corporation, U.S.A.’s Point Comfort Cogeneration Plant 155-MW Phase 1 in Point Comfort, Texas 

came online. The Point Comfort Cogeneration is coke-fueled. 

 NRG Solar and Eurus Energy’s 45-MW Avenal Solar Generating Facility, the largest photovoltaic generating facility in 

California has come online. Avenal Solar is comprised of three solar projects, the 8-MW Avenal Park, the 19-MW Sun 

City and the 18-MW Sand Drag. At full capacity Avenal generates enough clean renewable energy to meet the 

needs of 36,000 homes. 

 NRG Solar’s 20-MW Roadrunner Solar Generating Facility near Santo Teresa, New Mexico has come online. This is 

the second-largest photovoltaic project in the state of New Mexico. The renewable power generated will be sold to El 

Paso Electric under a 20-year power purchase agreement. 

 The City of Dover, Delaware’s Dover 10-MW SUN Park came online. Dover SUN Park will generate power for more 

than 1,500 homes. The facility was planned and developed by LS Power and constructed by SunPower. 

 Aspen Power’s 50-MW Lufkin Biomass Power Plant in Lufkin, Texas came online. The first biomass plant in Texas, 

the Lufkin Biomass will be fueled by 525,000 tons of logging and wood debris each year. 

 Roseburg Forest Products’ 15-MW Weed Biomass Cogeneration plant in Weed, northern California came online. 

Roseburg is the largest privately owned wood products company. About half of the power generated will power the 

mill facility in Weed. 

 MidAmerican Energy’s 30-MW Pomeroy Wind Farm near Pomeroy, Iowa came online. The wind farm consists of 

thirteen Siemens wind turbines with an output of 2.3-MW each. 
Office of Energy Projects 

Energy Infrastructure Update 

For August 2011 

Page 4 of 5 

New Generation In-Service (New Build and Expansion)

August 2011 January – August 2011 

Cumulative 

January – August 2010 

Cumulative 

Primary Fuel Type No. of 

Units 

Installed Capacity 

(MW) 

No. of 

Units 

Installed Capacity 

(MW) 

No. of 

Units 

Installed Capacity 

(MW) 

Coal 3 545 12 1,680 23 5,662 

Natural Gas 0 0 67 7,886 60 4,345 

Nuclear 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Oil 0 0 2 4.6 7 205 

Water 0 0 8 19 10 19 

Wind 3 33 77 3,275 43 1,895 

Biomass 5 70 43 159 54 256 

Geothermal Steam 0 0 2 23 0 0 

Solar 16 92 114 319 38 95 

Waste Heat 0 0 1 135 4 96 

Other 0 0 9 20 0 0 

Total 27 740 335 13,521 239 12,575 

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

Total Installed Operating Generation Capacity

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

Coal 344.43 30.12% 

Natural Gas 476.25 41.65% 

Nuclear 107.09 9.36% 

Oil 52.70 4.61% 

Water 99.52 8.70% 

Wind 43.18 3.78% 

Biomass 13.55 1.18% 

Geothermal Steam 3.40 0.30% 

Solar 1.48 0.13% 

Waste Heat 0.89 0.08% 

Other 1.11 0.10% 

Total 1,143.58 100.00% 

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

Energy Infrastructure Update 

For August 2011 

Page 5 of 5 

Electric Transmission Highlights 

 The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has issued a draft environmental impact statement for Gateway West. 

The 1,103 mile interstate transmission project is a combination of 230 kV and 500 kV lines and will connect the 

proposed Windstar substation near Glenrock, WY and the proposed Hemingway substation near Melba, ID. The BLM 

has not selected a preferred route but the project is expected to be completed in 2018. 

 Transmission Developers, Inc. has filed a motion with the New York State Public Service Commission to extend 

settlement negotiations. The settlement negotiations concerning the Champlain Hudson Power Express 

Transmission Project currently involve 29 different parties. The proposed 300 mile, HVDC transmission project would 

run form the U.S.-Canada border to New York City. 

 Enbridge Inc. is purchasing Tonbridge Power Inc., the developer of the Montana-Alberta Tie Project (MATL). MATL is 

a 230 kV, 214 mile transmission line that will connect a new substation near the city of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada 

to the Great Falls substation near Great Falls, Montana. The first phase of the project is expected to be operational in 

2012. 

 Electric Transmission Texas LLC announced plans for a new 345 kV transmission line in the Rio Grande Valley. The 

$400 million, 200 mile line would connect Laredo, TX and Brownsville, TX. The new transmission line would increase 

reliability in the area. 

Transmission Projects Completed Proposed Transmission Projects 

In-Service by August 2013 

August 2011 August 2010 High Probability of 

Completion All Voltage (kV) 

Line Length (miles) 

≤230 0 59.2 3,100.6 5,749.2 

345 0 0 4,246.8 5,665.4 

500 0 0 1,706.8 6,000.5 

Total U.S. 0 59.2 9,054.2 17,415.1 

Transmission Projects with a Proposed 

In-Service Date by August 2013 Transmission Projects 

Completed in August 

Sources: Data derived from Staff Database and U.S. Electric Transmission Projects ©2011 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.