Southern Star to boost capacity to meet growing gas-fired power demand in Missouri, Kansas

Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline applied for US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorization to build a new compressor station in Oklahoma to feed rising gas-generated electricity demand in Missouri and Kansas.

Cathy Landry

Dec. 10, 2024

FERC issued a notice of the application on Dec. 3 and asked for comments on the plan by Dec. 24.

The $48.4 million Cedar Vale Compressor Station Project involves building a new 6,091-hp compressor station in Osage County, Okla., to add about 98,000 Dt/d of firm capacity in Southern Star's market delivery area. The work would also boost incremental firm capacity by about 35,000 Dt/d in the SCOOP/STACK, Woodford shale, and Permian basin production basins.

In a Nov. 18 application, Southern Star said the added compression would "assist shippers in moving gas to the growing markets in and around Springfield, Joplin, Kansas City, and Topeka in Missouri and Kansas" due to coal-fired power plant retirements.

The shippers are "all either natural gas utilities or electric utilities [that use] natural gas for power generation," the company said.

About the Author

Cathy Landry

Washington Correspondent

Cathy Landry has worked over 20 years as a journalist, including 17 years as an energy reporter with Platts News Service (now S&P Global) in Washington and London.

She has served as a wire-service reporter, general news and sports reporter for local newspapers and a feature writer for association and company publications.

Cathy has deep public policy experience, having worked 15 years in Washington energy circles.

She earned a master’s degree in government from The Johns Hopkins University and studied newspaper journalism and psychology at Syracuse University.