Gulf Power’s plan to switch Plant Crist to natural gas is now on the fast track. The company notified the Florida Public Service Commission that it will retire the plant’s coal assets early and switch to 100% natural gas delivered by a pipeline through North Escambia County. Converting coal-burning units to run on natural gas, along with the addition of four new, highly efficient combustion turbines will provide greater reliability and efficiency for the energy grid and reduce the plant’s carbon emissions rate by 40%. Gulf Power has installed an underground natural gas pipeline that runs 39 miles from the Florida Gas Transmission Pipeline near Century, through McDavid, Molino and Cantonment, to the company’s Plant Crist off Ten-Mile Road.