The July 3 authorization for Phase I of the Sabal Trail Pipeline to begin full operation is another step toward meeting Florida’s growing demand for natural gas to fuel its electrical power grid.

As reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Florida has led all U.S. states in expansion of gas-fired electricity capacity since the start of 2016 with the addition of 3.4 gigawatts. But the state, which has also retired older coal- and oil-fired plants, is not located near a major source of natural gas production, nor does its geology allow underground natural gas storage.

Read: Hillabee Natural Gas Expansion Project Goes Into Service In Southeast

The 515-mile Sabal Trail line, a joint venture of Spectra Energy Partners, NextEra Energy Inc. (NYSE: NEE) and Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE: DUK), will move up to 810 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) from an interconnection with the Transco Pipeline in Alabama to the Central Florida Hub in Osceola County, Fla. The pipeline began partial service on June 14 and will increase its capacity to 1.05 billion cubic feet per day when Phase III is completed, which is scheduled for 2021.

Two other projects are in the works to meet the additional 3.9 gigawatts of natural gas-fired capacity planned to come online in Florida over the next six years.

Two other projects associated with the Southeast Market Pipelines are:

  • Transco’s Hillabee Expansion Project: Phase I added 800 MMcf/d of capacity to the Transco line in Alabama to provide natural gas to Sabal Trail. Phases II and III will add 200 MMcf/d of capacity in 2020 and 100 MMcf/d in 2021; and
  • NextEra’s Florida Southeast Connection: This line receives natural gas from Sabal Trail at the new Central Florida Hub, where Sabal Trail also connects with other major pipelines in central Florida to increase regional natural gas deliverability. Florida Southeast Connection can transport 640 MMcf/d of natural gas to Indiantown in southern Florida.

The Southeast Market Pipelines are the third major network to deliver natural gas to the region. Florida Gas Transmission, which went into service in 1959, has experienced numerous expansions as the state has grown. The Gulfstream Natural Gas System came into service in 2002. Sabal Trail connects with both of these pipeline systems.