The
Manatee County Port Authority has entered into a long-term agreement
with Port Dolphin Energy, which will provide Florida with
another source of natural gas to meet the growing demand for
alternative energy sources. The project is expected to be completed by
2013, and will pump more than $150 million into the local economy during
the next 20 years.
"With the addition of Port Dolphin to our growing family of
energy-related companies, Port Manatee exhibits its leadership as an
incubator for local jobs and regional economic growth," says Larry
Bustle, chairman of the
Manatee County Port Authority.
"This agreement
reinforces the port's financial strength with a new, recurring revenue
stream."
According to figures released by
Port Dolphin Energy, the
project's
estimated $150 million stimulus will come in the form of jobs, tax
revenue and supplies and services.
The project makes it possible for liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers to
connect with Port Dolphin's offshore facility 28 miles off the coast of
Manatee County, which in turn connects to an undersea pipeline system
that comes onshore at Port Manatee. The supply coming in to the port
complements the state supply provided by Florida Gas Transmission
Co. and Gulfstream Natural Gas System pipelines.
Studies indicate that natural gas is cleaner, safer, more easily
accessible and easier to store than oil. The Dolphin Energy project
meets the objectives outlined in the
Florida Public Service Commission's
Ten-Year Plan that call for a more balanced fuel supply.
Writer:
Missy
Kavanaugh
Source: Larry Bustle, Manatee County Port Authority
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