LAKE MARY, Fla., Feb. 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC, a joint venture of Spectra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE: SEP), NextEra Energy, Inc., and Duke Energy, received a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to construct and operate the Sabal Trail interstate natural gas pipeline project. This approval authorizes Sabal Trail, subject to certain conditions, to proceed with final preparations to commence construction in the coming months to meet a May 1, 2017, in-service date.

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Once complete, the 516-mile pipeline would have the capacity to deliver approximately 1.1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day to the Southeast U.S., including firm transportation services to Florida Power & Light Company and Duke Energy of Florida.

"Sabal Trail will provide a critically-needed source of domestic, clean-burning, affordable natural gas to the Southeast U.S. to meet the growing demand for natural gas-fired generation, the cleanest and most versatile fuel for powering the region's homes and businesses," said Bill Yardley, president of Sabal Trail Management, LLC and president of U.S. Transmission and Storage, Spectra Energy.

"For more than two and a half years, Sabal Trail has engaged with stakeholders, local community officials, and federal and state agencies to locate and design a pipeline system that will be built and operated safely and efficiently. Receiving this stamp of approval is a testament to our strong history of consultation and successful project execution. We are very pleased to reach this significant milestone and move one step closer to construction of the pipeline, which will diversify the region's energy sources and generate significant economic benefits for local communities."

For more information on Sabal Trail, visit www.sabaltrail.com.

Spectra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE: SEP) is a Houston-based master limited partnership, formed by Spectra Energy Corp (NYSE: SE). SEP is one of the largest pipeline MLPs in the United States and connects growing supply areas to high-demand markets for natural gas and crude oil. These assets include more than 15,000 miles of transmission and gathering pipelines, approximately 170 billion cubic feet of natural gas storage, and approximately 4.8 million barrels of crude oil storage.

NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE) is a leading clean energy company with consolidated revenues of approximately $17.5 billion, approximately 46,300 megawatts of generating capacity, which includes megawatts associated with noncontrolling interests related to NextEra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE:NEP), and approximately 14,300 employees in 27 states and Canada as of year-end 2015. Headquartered in Juno Beach, Fla., NextEra Energy's principal subsidiaries are Florida Power & Light Company, which serves more than 4.8 million customer accounts in Florida and is one of the largest rate-regulated electric utilities in the United States, and NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun. Through its subsidiaries, NextEra Energy generates clean, emissions-free electricity from eight commercial nuclear power units in Florida, New Hampshire, Iowa and Wisconsin. NextEra Energy has been recognized often by third parties for its efforts in sustainability, corporate responsibility, ethics and compliance, and diversity, and has been ranked in the top 10 worldwide for innovativeness and community responsibility as part of Fortune's 2015 list of "World's Most Admired Companies." For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.

Duke Energy is the largest electric power holding company in the United States. Its regulated utility operations serve approximately 7.3 million electric customers located in six states in the Southeast and Midwest, representing a population of approximately 23 million people. Its Commercial Portfolio and International business segments own and operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing portfolio of renewable energy assets in the United States.

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 250 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com.

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SOURCE Spectra Energy Partners, LP; Spectra Energy Corp