The TransGas project is a 1,100-megawatt (MW) combined-cycle natural gas-fired facility proposed for a nine-acre site currently being used as an oil storage and distribution terminal.

TransGas said the facility, which would provide electricity to more than 1 million New York homes, would be fueled primarily by natural gas with low-sulfur oil as a backup fuel when natural gas supplies are interrupted.

The power plant would consist of four combustion turbine generator units, four heat recovery steam generator units and two steam turbine generator units, which would operate in "combined cycle" system mode.

The target date for putting the plant into operation is 2005.

Under state law, the New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment (Siting Board) must approve the project.

In September, TransGas filed an application with the Siting Board under Article X, the state statue that codifies the power plant siting process.

The Siting Board consists of the chairman of the New York State Public Service Commission, the commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation, the commissioner of the Department of Health, the chairman of the Empire State Development Corp., the chairman of the Energy Research and Development Authority, and two additional local members named by the governor to consider each application.

TransGas was formed to build, own and operate this facility.

NYC POWER PROJECTS

Since 1999, more than 50 facilities, totaling more than 24,000 MW of electric generating capacity, have been proposed for the New York City area.

To date, however, only about 400 MW of generating capacity have been put into service by the New York Power Authority. No projects are expected to go on line in 2002.