Florida is the nation's fastest growing state,
so its weather-sensitive residential and commercial
gas demand is taking off. By 2008, the peninsula's
main gas-supply pipeline, Gulf Stream, is expected
to reach full capacity. Unless new supplies are
established, gas demand will exceed supply by
more than 1.0 Bcfd in 2013, according to FPL estimates.
Five alternatives are open to the state to try
to satisfy this shortfall: (1) continued expansion
of the Elba Island LNG terminal, which Shell has
recently announced, coupled with the construction
of the Cypress Pipeline;
(2) establishment of one or more eastern Gulf
of Mexico terminals with an expanded Florida Gas
Transmission pipeline; (3) a Bahamian terminal
to fill the end of the pipeline market in South
Florida; (4) mini LNG terminals served by LNG
barges; or (5) a non-natural gas energy supply,
like coal from Colombia. The purpose of this conference
is to review the possibilities for each of the
alternatives.
