Report examines Florida natural gas-fired generation

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) has determined natural gas-power generation in Florida has surpassed coal.

The EIA’s recent analysis showed Florida added nearly 16 gigawatts (GW) of utility-scale natural gas-fired electric generation between 2008 and 2018, representing roughly one-quarter, or 24 percent, of all natural gas installations during that time and the most of any state.

Electric utility net generation in Florida in the same period grew about 15 percent, per the EIA, increasing natural gas’s share of the in-state generation fuel mix from nearly half to three-fourths of the total.

The EIA is anticipating natural gas-fired generation capacity to continue to grow, displacing more emissions-intensive and less cost-competitive generation fuel sources such as coal and petroleum liquids.

The breakdown also revealed Florida was the third-largest state for electricity retail sales during 2017 and growth in its electricity sector has been among the fastest in the United States since 2007 – with officials noting between 2008 and last year, overall net generation in Florida increased by about 15 percent to reach 225,000 gigawatthours.

The EIA’s Monthly Update to Annual Electric Generator Report noted through the first quarter of 2019, 1.8 GW of natural gas-fired electric generating capacity came online in Florida, mainly from FP&L’s 1.7 GW Okeechobee Clean Energy Center.