Jacksonville Beach Reviewing 2 Natural Gas Companies

By CAREN BURMEISTER

JACKSONVILLE BEACH – The city is seeking more information about two natural gas companies before it decides whether to choose one of them to design, construct, operate and maintain a natural gas system for businesses in Jacksonville Beach and Ponte Vedra Beach.

Natural gas, a clean-burning fossil fuel, could provide an alternative for companies that have relied on propane to heat water, create steam, do laundry and other tasks, said Don Ouchley, director of Beaches Energy Services, a city electric utility that serves about 32,500 homes and businesses from Neptune Beach south to Ponte Vedra Beach and Palm Valley.

The city did a natural gas feasibility survey about four years ago, then updated it last year, Ouchley said. The latest survey showed 204 potential customers for natural gas, including Baptist Medical Center-Beaches, the Marriott Sawgrass and other hotels and restaurants, he said.

“There is enough customer base to support it,” Ouchley said. “We look at it as a service. It would be something that certain customers would like to have.”

Two companies responded to the city’s advertisement for natural gas service.

One was TECO Energy in Tampa, which owns Peoples Gas System, Florida’s largest natural gas distributor. TECO, which has a natural gas distribution line that crosses Beach Boulevard and runs north along Penman Road to Mayport, serves roughly 330,000 customers across the state, including some at the Beaches.

The other response came from Energy Fundamentals Group in Birmingham, Mich. Ouchley said he knew little about that company, which is why the city has asked for financial data and more information about its projects.

Once the information arrives, city officials and their consultant will make a recommendation to City Manager George Forbes and the City Council about whether to proceed and if so, with which company.

Ouchley said natural gas would give commercial customers a choice.

Despite the volatility in natural gas prices in the last several years, “from the studies we’ve done, we can be competitive with gas,” he said.Caren Burmeister can also be reached at (904) 249- 4947, ext. 6321.

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