Some voices shook with emotion Wednesday, as about 20 Merritt Islanders told Canaveral Port Authority commissioners that selling and/or leasing port land for a Liquefied Natural Gas terminal so close to their homes should be a ‘no-go.’
“I’m right there,” said Lisa Downs, who lives along Potomac Drive, adding that an LNG plant could jeopardize the Port Authority’s fiduciary responsibility. “This could easily cut off access to your port, should their be an explosion.”
Downs echoed concerns of all the Merritt Island residents who spoke Wednesday, after Canaveral Port Authority heard a presentation about “steps for sale and lease of certain Barge Canal property for further consideration of unsolicited proposal for LNG Liquefaction facility,” from Marc Dunbar, a partner in the government relations practice group for Jones Walker LLP, representing the port. “You have an unsolicited proposal,” Dunbar explained, “and you have no clear statute telling you how to handle it.”
Chesapeake Utilities officials plan to make their pitch to the community further at a public forum Feb. 18 at Cape Canaveral Community Center.
Where would the LNG facility go?
Canaveral Port Authority officials are mulling whether to sell land along the Barge Canal for use as a liquefied natural gas terminal.
The land in question is about 125 acres the port owns at 1350 Sea Ray Drive, just south of the Barge Canal and north of State Road 528. The land has a market value of $2.8 million, according to the Brevard County Property Appraiser’s website.
What’s the LNG proposal?
The parent company of Florida City Gas is floating the idea of building a liquefied natural gas plant on a Merritt Island site west of Port Canaveral.
Under one proposal, the plant would be built on undeveloped land that is owned by the port, not far from a residential neighborhood.
Why is LNG needed?
The fuel would be used for both cruise ships and the space industry.
Liquid natural gas is used as a fuel on many newer cruise ships based at Port Canaveral and elsewhere, and also can be used in the space launch industry. In the cruise industry, LNG is cleaner-burning that traditional marine fuels. LNG for cruise ships and rockets alike could begin processing at Port Canaveral if a deal between two energy companies and the Port goes through to purchase land for a potential facility.
The facility could create between 50-100 jobs. A projected timeline for the project shows a completion goal of 2029. On Dec. 10, representatives from Chesapeake Utilities and BHE GT&S, a company within Berkshire Hathaway Energy, presented the plan to port commissioners.
A future liquid natural gas liquefaction facility at Port Canaveral could mean improved fuel infrastructure for ships like the the Carnival Mardi Gras and the space industry.
Liquid natural gas required for rockets and cruise ships
Michael Cassel, a vice president of strategic development with Chesapeake Utilities, said in December that Florida is “very short” on natural gas infrastructure. He said the plant would “ensure that Florida’s energy future remains both reliable and resilient.”
The Port already has multiple ships in its docks powered by LNG. Going forward, that trend is expected to continue. In 2026, half the ships in production will be fueled by liquid natural gas. “It will attract the newest generation of those cruise ships,” Cassel said.
Florida Department of Transportation official Dan Fitzpatrick said both Port Canaveral’s cruise operations and Kennedy Space Center’s space missions will require natural gas energy infrastructure going forward.
“Development will be subject to rigorous state and federal permitting after land acquisition has occurred,” Fitzpatrick said.
Liquid natural gas safety concerns in Brevard
At the port’s December meeting, Roger Williams, vice president of liquid natural gas for Berkshire Hathaway Energy, told Port commissioners that liquid natural gas transportation and distribution was already ongoing in Brevard County.
“It’s important to remind the local community that natural gas infrastructure exists in our communities today and in many of our homes,” Williams said at the time. “Florida City Gas has done an outstanding job making sure those are operated safely.” Situating a production facility close to the launch sites will minimize the number of trucks and the distance traveled over local roadways, Williams added.
But for many in Merritt Island, the LNG proposal is way too close to home.
“It’s too close to Island Crossings,” said Robert Wise, a representative of East Merritt Island Community Association, Inc. He like many fears the odors, fumes, and safety risks that go with LNG plants. “There’s also that outside chance of an explosion that could reach farther than a quarter mile … We’re all against it,” Wise said.
Want to learn more?
Chesapeake Utilities will hold a community meeting about it 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18 at Cape Canaveral Community Center, 7920 Orange Ave., Cape Canaveral.
How the public can comment:
∎ To Chesapeake Utilities and BHE GT&S at CanaveralLNG@ERM.com; or call 1-800-617-6104 (toll free);
∎ To Canaveral Port Authority: BargeCanalProposal@PortCanaveral.com.
Contact Waymer at (321) 261-5903 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Merritt Islanders speak out against LNG proposal
