Power Generators Offer Differing Views on Gas Interchangeability Issues
Speaking at the Platts Gas Interchangeability and Quality Conference in Washington, DC, several electric generators offered their views on the impacts of variable supplies, including imported LNG, on their facilities. Kaye Emmons of Energia Azteca X and Michael Gallagher of Sempra Generation, whose facilities receive regasified LNG from Sempra’s Costa Azul LNG terminal, told conference attendees that new auto-tuning equipment installed on their facilities operated successfully when regasified LNG flowed through their plants, allowing the facilities to adjust to the receipt of frequently varying compositions. Fernando Serrano of Calpine Corporation, the nation’s largest independent merchant generator, offered a differing perspective, expressing his company’s concern over the adequacy of current technology to address significant fuel variability.
In addition, FERC’s Ed Murrell spoke about the history of interchangeability issues in the United States, focusing on FERC’s role, and emphasized the importance of stakeholders in the interchangeability debate reaching settlement on disputed issues as opposed to submitting matters to FERC for a decision.