AGENDA

SITING BOARD
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

 APRIL 25, 2000

Item 1 Minutes

Submittal of the Minutes of the February 22, 2000 Cabinet Meeting.

(See Attachment 1, Pages 1-2)

RECOMMEND ACCEPTANCE

Item 2 C. D. McIntosh, Jr., Power Plant, Unit 5 Order/City of Lakeland, Department of Electric Utilities

REQUEST: Consideration of a Final Order to be executed by the Siting Board, adopting the Administrative Law Judge’s Recommended Order on Land Use and Certification Hearing and the related Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law recommending that the Siting Board grant certification of the McIntosh Unit 5 project subject to the Conditions of Certification.

COUNTY: Polk

APPLICANT: City of Lakeland, Department of Electric Utilities (Lakeland)

LOCATION: The existing C. D. McIntosh, Jr. Power Plant is located in the eastern portion of the City of Lakeland, along the northern shore of Lake Parker.

STAFF REMARKS: Lakeland wishes to expand its generating capacity by converting a 250-megawatt ("MW"), simple-cycle combustion turbine to a combined-cycle generating unit on Lakeland's existing C. D. McIntosh, Jr. Power Plant site. The project site is a three-acre tract of land located within the larger 530-acre McIntosh Power Plant site. In 1998, Lakeland obtained approvals to construct McIntosh Unit 5, a new 250-MW, simple-cycle combustion turbine ("CT") at the McIntosh site. These approvals consisted of a modification of the site certification for McIntosh Unit 3 and a separate Prevention of Significant Deterioration Permit, both issued by the Department of Environmental Protection. The modification of the site certification for the new McIntosh Unit 5 simple-cycle CT was required because the new CT was to be located within the site certified for McIntosh Unit 3. Construction is nearing completion on the McIntosh Unit 5 CT and it will be placed into service in the near future. The original permits for the new McIntosh Unit 5 CT anticipated that the simple-cycle CT would later be converted to a combined-cycle configuration.

The conversion to a combined-cycle configuration involves the construction of a heat recovery steam generator ("HRSG"). Other equipment required for the steam-cycle project includes a new, taller exhaust stack; a new cooling tower; and other plant equipment. The project's proposed addition of the new HRSG steam turbine and electrical generator to McIntosh Unit 5 will produce an incremental 100 MW of electricity produced through the use of steam. The combined-cycle unit will be fired primarily with natural gas, with fuel oil as a backup fuel. On January 11, 2000, the Administrative Law Judge conducted a consolidated land use and certification hearing pursuant to section 403.508, F.S.

The Order approves and adopts the Recommended Order on Land Use and Certification Hearing as submitted by the Administrative Law Judge, pursuant to the Florida Electrical Power Plant Siting Act, section 403.501, et seq., F.S., finding the proposed project complies with the legislative intent as stated in section 403.502, F.S., by providing abundant, low cost energy and by effecting a reasonable balance between minimal environmental impacts and the need for the facility as determined by the Florida Public Service Commission, by being in compliance with the state and Polk County comprehensive plans and by complying with the applicable non-procedural standards of the Department of Environmental Protection and other agencies.

(See Attachment 2, Pages 1-61)

RECOMMEND APPROVAL