The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted Florida Southeast Connection LLC and Columbia Gas Transmission LLC authorizations they needed to start service on their respective natural gas pipeline projects in Florida and Virginia.

FERC issued the authorizations in Aug. 31 letter orders. In one, FERC told Florida Southeast Connection, a NextEra Energy Inc. subsidiary, that it could start service on the Okeechobee lateral project. The commission approved the estimated $30.1 million project May 30. The 400,000-Dth/d lateral will move gas from the large Southeast Market Pipelines system to the 1,778-MW Okeechobee Clean Energy Center in Okeechobee County, Fla. (FERC docket CP17-463)

In another letter order, FERC allowed Columbia Gas, part of TransCanada Corp.'s Columbia Pipeline Group Inc., to start service on the Central Virginia Connector project. FERC approved the project, estimated to cost about $52.3 million at the time of application, in September 2017. The project would help provide an additional 45,000 Dth/d of firm gas transportation service for two existing customers, Columbia Gas of Virginia Inc. and the city of Richmond, Va. It upgrades the Louisa compressor station and Boswells Tavern compressor station, both in Louisa County, Va. It also includes a new delivery point near the Goochland compressor station in Goochland County, Va. (FERC docket CP16-493)