Additional pipelines needed in near future to meet energy needs

It was reported, back in 2008, that Florida was vulnerable to energy disruption if supply were shut down in the Gulf of Mexico or if a pipeline failed.

And hurricanes — which can interrupt supply and leave the state susceptible to shortfalls and excessive prices — could do both.

Here’s why: Most of the petroleum we consume is imported from adjacent states or other countries. It comes via overseas tankers and barges to marine terminals in Florida. We also get most of our natural gas from other Gulf Coast states via pipeline or from tanker shipments offloaded in Georgia and piped to Florida. A hurricane would disrupt each of these delivery avenues.

The Sunshine State will need a lot more energy, with or without weather-related interruptions — about 10 more gigawatts through 2035, according to the Florida Reliability Coordinating Council. That’s a 20 percent increase from a couple of years back, and Florida’s per capita residential electricity demand already is among the highest in the country

With many of the pipelines that go in and around Florida already near capacity, how do we plan to get all that energy to market safely and responsibly?

The answer is simple: Expand Florida’s energy infrastructure — the sooner, the better.

The economic reasons are obvious. Pipeline expansion equates to more economic growth, job creation and tax revenue, plus significantly more cost savings for consumers.

But what’s often forgotten are pipeline’s environmental benefits.

Studies have shown that pipelines are the safest way to transport energy. In fact, pipeline-transported oil and gas safely reached its destination more than 99.999 percent of the time in 2013.

Coupled with record increases in natural gas usage, pipelines have lowered carbon emissions from electricity generation to levels not seen in decades.

In all, pipelines have been a win-win — economically and environmentally. They’re also a must-have for Floridians who’ll need more juice in the coming years to keep their lights on and their electronic devices powered.