DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Siting Coordination Office
NOTICE OF FILING OF APPLICATION FOR POWER PLANT CERTIFICATION
On April 18, 2018, the Department of Environmental Protection received an application for certification of a power plant pursuant to the Florida Electrical Power Plant Siting Act, section 403.501 et seq., Florida Statutes (FS.), concerning Tampa Electric Company’s (TEC) Big Bend Facility; Power Plant Siting Application No. PA79-12A2, OGC Case No.18-0198. The proposed project is for the certification of existing Big Bend units and the repowering of existing coal and gas-fired Unit 1 with a natural gas-fired nominal 1090 MW combined cycle unit and associated facilities at the existing Big Bend Facility under Section 403.5175, F.S. Existing natural gas- and coal-fired Big Bend Unit 2 will be retired, and the existing steam turbine generator for Unit 1 will be modernized and reused within the combined-cycle facilities. There will be no increase in steam capacity. A copy of the application for certification is available for review in the Siting Coordination Office, Department of Environmental Protection, 2600 Blair Stone Road, MS 5500, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400, (850)717-9000 or online at https://floridadep.gov/air/siting-coordination-office/content/applications-process. Pursuant to Section 403.507, F.S., and Rule 62-17, Florida Administrative Code, statutory parties to the site certification proceeding will review the application and submit their reports and recommendations. In the future, a proposed certification hearing date will be announced. Pursuant to Section 403.508(3), FS., parties to the proceeding shall include the applicant, the Public Service Commission, the Department of Economic Opportunity, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, the Department of Environmental Protection, Hillsborough County, the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County, and the Department of Transportation. Any party listed in Section 403.508(3)(a), FS., other than the Department of Environmental Protection or the applicant may waive its right to participate in these proceedings if such party fails to file a notice of its intent to be a party on or before the 90th day prior to the certification hearing. In addition, notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 120, upon the filing with the administrative law judge of a notice of intent to be a party no later than 75 days after the application is filed, the following shall also be parties to the proceeding: any agency not listed in Section 403.508(3)(a), FS., as to matters within its jurisdiction; any domestic nonprofit corporation or association formed, in whole or in part, to promote conservation or natural beauty, to protect the environment, personal health, or other biological values, to preserve historical sites, to promote consumer interests; to represent labor, commercial, or industrial groups, or to promote comprehensive planning or orderly development of the area in which the proposed electrical power plant is to be located. Other parties may include any person, including those persons listed herein who have failed to timely file a notice of intent to be a party, whose substantial interests are affected and being determined by the proceeding and who timely file a motion to intervene pursuant to Chapter 120, FS., and applicable rules. Intervention pursuant to this paragraph may be granted at the discretion of the designated administrative law judge and upon such conditions as he or she may prescribe any time prior to 30 days before the date of the certification hearing. Motions to intervene must be filed (received) with the Administrative Law Judge assigned to the case by the Division of Administrative Hearings, The Desoto Building, 1230 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1550 prior to 30 days before the date of the certification hearing. Any agency, including those whose properties or works are being affected pursuant to s. 403.509(4), FS., shall be made a party upon the request of the Department or the applicant. Pursuant to Section 403.508(6), FS., the certification hearing may be cancelled, if all parties to the proceeding stipulate that there are no disputed issues of fact or law to be raised at the certification hearing.
