A SpaceX subsidiary, Coastal Connect Services LLC, submitted a Sept. 24 request to the Florida Public Service Commission for a natural gas pipeline measuring 32.4 miles long and 16 inches in diameter in Brevard County, home to Cape Canaveral. The line would interconnect with Florida Gas Transmission, which is operated by Energy Transfer LP. SpaceX set up Coastal Connect as a new affiliate for this effort.
Energy infrastructure is becoming a bottleneck for the companies building the future. Market Briefs covers that collision free every weekday.
Starship runs on methane in liquid form, so SpaceX uses natural gas that it chills into a liquid propellant. Right now the company relies on trucked loads of liquefied natural gas sourced from smaller LNG plants in Florida and other states. A dedicated pipeline would give the company a continuous stream of gas to match rising demand. SpaceX would still need to perform liquefaction, which means additional LNG gear would be required.
In Texas, a parallel proposal was filed by SpaceX unit Lone Star Mineral Development for an approximately 8 mile line to serve the Boca Chica launch site, a detail documented in a filing with the Texas Railroad Commission. In Florida, SpaceX evaluated expansion options and contacted companies running Chesapeake Utilities' pipeline network - among them Florida City Gas and Peninsula - before deciding to move ahead via the newly formed Coastal Connect.
SpaceX and Energy Transfer did not respond to requests for comment. When asked if it knew about the pipeline effort, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration gave no response. SpaceX has also begun recruiting natural gas traders, with roles posted in Texas and Florida.
Who gets the gas, and at what price, is now a space-industry question. Join Market Briefs free and follow the build.
