On its website stromsolutions.com since 2014: “Strom, pronounced with a long O (Ström) is the German word for current…. Strom is a proud Florida based corporation that intends to be a strong corporate partner to the State of Florida.” So why German?
Photo:
LNG World News, 19 May 2015,
Strom files for non-FTA export authorization with DOE.
Strom, Inc. CEO Michael Lokey
The CEO of Strom, Inc. listed on various filings with the Department of Energy (DoE) Office of Fossil Fuels (FE) is Michael Lokey, who his LinkedIn profile went to Clemson University and has been involved in various ventures in the Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida area (Bion Labs, Sunshine Biofuels, Deep Immersion Media). Lokey is: “Founding Partner” of “STROM” since December 2013. Also “Vice President Founding Partner”: “700 Island Energy is a Bahamian company dedicated to advancing both waste to energy and renewable energy throughout the 700 islands of the Bahamas and greater Caribbean islands.” He got the website for Strom wrong, and spelled this other name wrong, but there is a 700 Islands Energy based in Nassau, Bahamas.
And http://www.stromsolutions.com/offices/ shows Lokey’s misspelling in “C/O 700 Island Energy, Ltd.”:
Main Office
1228 East 7th Avenue
Ste. 200 Tampa, FL 33605
United States
+1 (727) 230 8840Bahamas
Airport Industrial Park #40
C/O 700 Island Energy, Ltd.
P.O. Box SS6297
Nassau, BahamasBritish Virgin Islands
386 Waterfront Drive
Road Town Tortola
British Virgin Islands
VG 1110
So far, just a Florida boy with connections to the islands.
Strom, Inc. President Dean M. Wallace
But look at http://www.stromsolutions.com/in-the-news/, ” “STROM responds to Pivotal LNG Energy Motion to intervene”:
STROM agrees that Pivotal LNG Energy should be part of the Declaratory Order. Read response here
And in that DoE FE filing:
Strom designates the following individuals to receive service of all filings made in this proceeding:
Dean M. Wallace
Michael Lokey
Both are listed with the same Tampa address and telephone number. But who is this Dean M. Wallace, listed first, before CEO Michael Lokey?
Dean M. Wallace’s LinkedIn profile says he is President, Glauben Besitz, LLC, since November 2013:
Develop strategies, policies and procedures for the launch of Strom, Inc. and Strom Energy, Inc. Created Articles of Incorporation for both Strom Inc. and Strom Energy with Glauben Besitz LLC serving as the holding company. Designed communication policies and conducted, staff and contractor onboarding. Managed creation and submission process for a LNG export license from Federal government assembling legal, accounting and engineering team to navigate the application process. Received LNG export license from the Department of Energy to do business with countries with a Free Trade Agreement and Non-Free Trade Agreement with the US for Strom Inc. Earned certification for company as a Qualified Facility (QF) under the Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act of 1978 for Strom Energy, Inc.
So that nice Florida company Strom, Inc., fronted by that nice Florida boy Michael Lokey, is actually a German company.
Sabal Trail gas to Strom, Inc. LNG export
Strom Inc. has consistently said, since 2014 when it wanted to locate in Starke, Florida:
Specifically, Strom’s source of NG will be from one of or combination of three natural gas pipeline companies regulated by FERC and currently supplies NG for sale in Florida. These facilities will include the 1) Florida Gas Transmission Company (“FGTC”) and 2) Gulfstream Natural Gas Systems (“GNGS”). Additionally, the Florida Public Service Commission (“FPSC”) recently approved Sabal Trail Transmission (“STT”), which will provide NG through Southwest Alabama, through Georgia and down to central and south Florida. Upon completion of the STT, Strom intends to acquire additional supply from STT. Strom will be purchasing NG from FGTC, GNGS and/or STT under long term purchase agreemerits. Strom also intends to purchase from utilities that have excess NG, and which have obtained appropriate regulatory approval, if required, for the sales of such excess capacity.
When Strom moved its intended location to Crystal River, it omitted Gulfstream as a supplier but kept FGT and Sabal Trail:
It is STROM’s intention to make this new location at 6700 N, Tallahassee Rd, Crystal River, FL 34428 the primary site where we will produce Liquid Natural Gas for Long Term Export to Free Trade Agreement Countries. This location can receive natural gas by short lateral pipeline from either Florida Gas Transmission Company’s current Interstate transmission pipeline or the proposed Sabal Trail Transmission Intrastate[sic] Pipeline.
How could FERC not know?
This was all before Sabal Trail was permited by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Strom has continued to say it will get its gas either from FGT or Sabal Trail.
So we have a German company repeatedly saying it wants to export fracked methane from Sabal Trail. Is profit for a German company a good reason for federal eminent domain used to extract easements from landowners? Is it a good reason for drilling under our rivers, by our schools, and next to our homes? Is it a good reason for sending LNG trucks up and down our roads and railroads?
Glauben Besitz LLC advantage: Access to a pipeline
This is not a secret if you know where to look, such as on the front page of GlaubenBesitzLLC:
LOW COST NATURAL GAS ELECTRIC POWER
LATIN AMERICA and CARIBBEAN (LAC)THE GLAUBEN BESITZ ADVANTAGE
ACCESS TO A PIPELINE to obtain LNG….
STROM INC.
Supply LNG to Strom Energy, LLC’s cogen power plants in Latin America and Caribbean, and third parties, where applicable.
2.4MM g/day (US Production)STROM ENERGY, LLC
Own and operate natural gas fired cogen electric generating facilities in Latin America, Caribbean, and solar farms in USA except North Carolina
940MW cogen (LAC Production) / 347MW SolarSTROM ENERGY NC, LLC
SPE exclusively organized to own and operate 75MW solar farm in North Carolina
75MW Solar, North Carolina
And on GlaubenBesitzLLC’s About web page, “BUSINESS MODEL: Strategic Vertical Integrated Power” with snazzy graphics spelling out
“US NATURAL GAS PIPELINE SUPPLY”
“CONVERT TO LIQUIFIED NATURAL GAS”
“LNG SHIPMENT TO LAC REGION”
“ELECTRIC POWER PRODUCTION”
“SELL ELECTRIC POWER VIA PPA TO LAC”
That’s right, Strom, Inc. is a piece of German company Glauben Besitz’ integrated vertical power strategy to export Sabal Trail gas to Latin America.
Solar: Glauben Besitz and Duke
Also on that About web page:
SOLAR FACILITIES
STROM ENERGY, LLC
347MW Solar Farm (Various States)STROM ENERGY NC, LLC
75MW Solar Farm
(North Carolina)
So even Glauben Besitz is hedging its antiquated fracked methane strategy with solar power. What’s this about North Carolina? Back on the front page:
U.S.A. FULLY EXECUTED PPA in hand with Duke Energy for portion of solar.
Glauben Besitz has posted only two news items on its website:
June 02, 2017
Strom Energy North Carolina LLC Is On The Move in North CarolinaStrom Energy North Carolina LLC, a subsidiary of Glauben Besitz LLC is developing a 25 megawatt solar farm in North Carolina. Community members and leaders are excited about the upcoming project and what it will bring to the region. Members of the Wilkes County Comissioners hope to see their community as the number one green energy county in the US in upcoming years and hope that this project will bring them one step closer to that goal.
Robert Johnson, mayor of North Wilkesboro, NC, has expressed much support for the project and says that construction of the solar farm is a priority for residents of the region. According to the mayor, “not only will the SE Solar Project help North Carolina maintain its position as one of the leading states to support renewable energy, it will also produce jobs and inject hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy of Wilkes County.” The SE Solar Project will produce 100% clean, renewable energy and does not use gas or fossil fuels in its operation, therefore not generating any harmful emissions. Another benefit of the SE Solar Project is the stable cost of electricity it’s generating for the region. The Mayor adds that “since it will not be tied to the price of oil it will not be vulnerable to fluctuation like coal fired power plants, thus contributing to reliable long-term energy pricing and energy independence.” The company is awaiting the final state and federal clearances before construction will begin.
That’s right, Glauben Besitz, owner of Strom Inc. LNG export next to Duke Energy Florida (DEF)’s Crystal River natural gas plant, both at the end of Sabal Trail’s Citrus County Pipeline, is building a solar farm in Duke’s home state of North Carolina.
That PR doesn’t say who the utility customer is for that Wilkes County, NC solar farm. For that, see Jule Hubbard, Wilkes Journal-Patriot, 25 July 2017, 20-megawatt facility would be among largest in area: Solar farm proposed in Antioch,
An application has been filed with the N.C. Utilities Commission for a solar energy farm in Wilkes County that would be one of the largest such facilities in northwestern North Carolina.
The filing is for a 20-megawatt solar farm on a 164-acre parcel at the end of Shew Ridge Mission Road in the Antioch community.
The application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity lists the cost of the solar farm at $39.38 million. It projects gross generating capacity of 27,296 kilowatt hours DC.
The application was filed June 20 by Strom Energy, a Wyoming limited liability corporation and subsidiary of Glauben Besitz LLC, a one-year-old foreign limited liability company. Both companies are listed with addresses in Tampa, Fla.
…
There are two transmission powerlines running across the 164 acres and two Duke Energy substations nearly adjoining the east and west side. The property is in timber.
The application projects selling 48.9 million kilowatt hours of electricity to Duke Energy annually starting in early 2018. It said the project’s service life is about 30 years.
So Strom’s NC power buyer is Duke Energy.
But it gets better. The most recent item on Glauben Besitz’ News page:
June 02, 2017
Strom Energy and Duke Energy Sign PPA to Build 25 Megawatt Solar Farm in the State of FloridaStrom Energy LLC, a subsidiary of Glauben Besitz LLC, and one of the largest authorized exporters of natural gas has just announced that it has signed a Power Purchase agreement and Interconnection agreement with Duke Energy for its first 25 megawatt solar farm in Florida. Strom Energy LLC is engaged in the planning and development of natural gas fired electric generation in the Latin American and Caribbean regions and solar farm development in the US and is looking forward to beginning this new project. COO of Strom energy LLC, Bobby Crewe has said “it took a long time to get to this point but we are pleased that our hard work and dedication is finally paying off.”
The project is aimed at increasing sources of renewable energy in the state of Florida. This will be good for Floridians as Florida is one of the fastest growing states in the US and has seen a population increase of almost 2 million in the past 6 years alone. Mr. Crewe also states the increased renewable power supply in Florida will help keep rates low amongst ratepayers in the region. Now that the contract is signed with Duke, the company is working around the clock to complete the Interconnection study so that construction can begin. The company aims to build a total of 422 megawatts of solar energy in the US.
SInce that’s only a 25MW solar farm, presumably it’s not the same as the 75MW Hamilton Solar Farm Duke is building directly next to Sabal Trail in Hamilton County, Florida. It does make you wonder, though, who is building that one? And who will build the other nine solar farms Duke announced for Florida?
If either of these arrangements or any of the names Strom Energy North Carolina LLC, Strom Energy LLC, or Glauben Besitz are mentioned anywhere by Duke Energy (North Carolina or Florida), I haven’t found them.
Yet German company Glauben Besitz, owner of Strom Inc. LNG export operation which plans to use Sabal Trail gas right next to Duke’s Crystal River power plant, that same Glauben Besitz has solar power business agreements with Duke in two states, including Florida.
Cheniere, Glauben Besitz, Sabine Pass LNG export shut down by PHMSA
The web is even more tangled than that. Back at the top of GlaubenBesitzLLC’s About web page:
MANAGEMENT EXPERTISE
We are led by a seasoned management and advisory team with over 50 combined years of experience in the electricity and natural gas industry.
We have worked for large U.S. companies such as Southern Company, Cheniere Energy, Exxon Mobile, Power Secure, Booz Allen, and Ernst & Young.
That’s right, Cheniere Energy with its Sabine Pass LNG export, leaking so bad PHMSA shut it down, is a Glauben Besitz employer.
Pivotal, Glauben Besitz, LNG export trucks Georgia to Jacksonville, FL
Also a Glauben Besitz employer is Southern Company, owner of Pivotal LNG, likely source of that LNG truck I saw rolling down I-75 to I-10, and with at least one contract to ship LNG out from Jacksonville.
Should we assume those LNG bomb trucks and the LNG export facilities in Jacksonville, Crystal River, and elsewhere in Florida, not to mention Pivotal LNG’s four liquefaction operations in Georgia and others in Alabama, Tennessee, and New Jersey, are run better than Cheniere’s leaked-so-bad PHMSA shut it down Sabine Pass LNG export?
I wonder how much of this the Citrus Board of County Commissioners knows?
-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®
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