FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
March 15, 2010
LAST WEEK
Fort Meade Workshop
The Fort Meade City Commission agreed last Tuesday to reschedule a workshop with FMPA and All-Requirements representatives to discuss conces raised by the city in a Sept. 8, 2009, letter. The workshop has been set for March 31, 6:30 p.m. at a location to be determined. Contact: Nick Guarriello
Business Planning and Budget Committee
FMPA’s Business Planning and Budget Committee held its first meeting last Friday to begin work on the fiscal 2011 budget. The Committee reviewed the proposed Agency budget. Nick Guarriello and other staff members will review the recently completed Compensation and Benefits Study before making payroll recommendations to the Committee at its next meeting on April 15.
FGT Rate Case
Florida Gas Transmission (FGT) filed a tariff to raise its rates effective April 1, subject to refund, in order to fund new projects, the company said. The rate increase will add approximately $160,000 per month to FMPA’s demand capacity payments to FGT. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission released top-sheets recommending an increase substantially below the amount requested by FGT, an action that was not well-received by FGT management. There is little expectation that FGT will offer any form of settlement, and the process may go to a full rate case before it is resolved. Contact: Richard Montgomery
GeoPlasma Meeting
Jim Hay, Tom Reedy and Sharon Smeenk met last week with representatives from GeoPlasma, a company that incinerates municipal solid waste to generate electricity, for an update on the company’s proposed South Florida project.
Power Marketing Activities
FMPA’s Power Resources Division has submitted several proposals for short-term power sales to potential buyers. The proposals are still pending. Contact: Richard Montgomery
CR3 Outage Update
The Plant Nuclear Safety Committee approved the containment detensioning plan last Monday and work began Wednesday on this next step for repairing cracks in Crystal River Unit 3’s containment building. The repairs steps will include detensioning, delamination removal, concrete placement, re-tensioning, post-repair testing and restart. Progress Energy is currently planning for a mid-year start-up of the unit, but with this being a one-of-a-kind containment repair, the schedule may change with ongoing repair activities. Contact: David Schumann
The FMPA Dispatch
The Winter 2010 edition of The FMPA Dispatch newsletter was issued last Friday and posted on FMPA’s CEO” rel=”nofollow”>https://www.appanet.org/events/ceoroundtabledetails.cfm?ItemNumber=25637&sn.ItemNumber=0>CEO Roundtable on Monday and Tuesday. The Roundtable is APPA’s annual meeting for public power executives to exchange ideas and information with their peers. The meeting will include presentations on the global economy and its effect on the public power industry, potential carbon trading legislation, and preserving the long-term viability of the public power business model.
NERC Planning Committee
Tom Reedy will attend a NERC Planning Committee meeting Tuesday and Wednesday. The Committee supports NERC’s reliability mission by executing the policies, directives and assignments of the Board of Trustees and by advising the Board on matters related to bulk electric system transmission planning, reliability and resource adequacy.
Greener Communities Greener World
Wednesday marks the second anniversary of FMPA’s green initiative launched on St. Patrick’s Day in 2008. The initiative, known as “Greener Communities, Greener World, is intended to renew and reinvigorate the Agency’s commitment to environmentally responsible practices. The initiative includes focused efforts in three areas: supporting greener power, promoting energy conservation and creating a greener workplace. FMPA has taken significant steps during the past two years to modeize its generation fleet with more fuel-efficient units and install its first solar photovoltaic project. All-Requirements Project members also created a $1 million fund to support energy conservation projects, including a set of FMPA’s” rel=”nofollow”>http://green.fmpa.com/>FMPA’s Green site to lea more about the Agency’s most recent efforts to conserve natural resources.
Florida Municipal Energy Efficiency Committee
Ann Beckwith will attend a meeting of the Florida Municipal Energy Efficiency Committee Wednesday in Tallahassee. The Committee will discuss legislative issues surrounding energy efficiency projects. Jody Finklea will present an update on Florida Public Service Commission issues.
St. Lucie Project Investment RFP
FMPA received six responses to a request for proposals for the long-term investment of St. Lucie Project funds. Staff will meet with representatives from Dunlap & Associates on Friday to discuss the proposals. Contact: Janet Davis
Auditors at OUC
FMPA’s contract compliance auditors retu to Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) this week to finish field work on the OUC audit. Contact: Rich Popp
Insurance Contracts
FMPA’s Audit and Risk Department is collecting final bids for this year’s insurance renewals, which are effective April 1. Contact: Rich Popp
Member Portal Spotlight: New Feedback Form
Having trouble finding something on the Member Portal? Have a suggestion for the Portal? FMPA wants to know. Complete the new two-question feedback form to let us know how we can make the Portal better for you. You will find the survey link in the main navigation bar across the top of each page. Click on the words, “Share Your Feedback.
All-Requirements Project Load
The weekly update of the All-Requirements Project historical load graph has been posted on the Member Portal. The graph is updated through March 14. Contact: Jim Atz
Service Anniversaries
Congratulations to Karen Culpepper, who celebrates seven years with FMPA on Wednesday, March 17.
Congratulations to Michelle Pisarri, who celebrates five years with FMPA on Sunday, March 21.
COMING UP
Net Metering Report Deadline
FMPA reminds All-Requirements members to submit their Net Metering Reports to Ann Beckwith by March 22. All municipal electric utilities must file a report with the Public Service Commission by April 1 detailing customer participation in net metering programs.
Policy Makers Liaisons Committee
FMPA’s Policy Makers Liaisons Committee holds its next meeting March 22 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Florida Municipal Electric Association’s (FMEA) office in Tallahassee. Participants will discuss the proposed legislation to subject FMPA to regulation by the Public Service Commission. Lobbyist Bill Peebles will brief participants on the latest legislative developments, discuss legislative strategy, and advise Committee members on communication with their House and Senate representatives. This meeting will take place in conjunction with the FMEA Legislative Rally. Contact: Mark McCain
FMEA Legislative Rally
FMEA will hold its annual Legislative Rally on March 22 and March 23 in Tallahassee. The Rally is an effective way for local officials to communicate with state legislators on electric utility issues. For more information or to register, visit register” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.appanet.org/login/login.cfm?resultPage=%2Fapplications%2Fregistration%2Fregister.cfm%3FItemNumber%3D26074>register online by May 30 will save $50 on the registration fee. The conference will feature sessions on topics facing the electric utility industry and public power. The subjects cover all facets of utility goveance and operations. One of the pre-conference sessions on June 19 titled “Fostering effective Board/Management relations offers an excellent opportunity for FMPA members to review the Board’s fiduciary and policy responsibilities, as well as Board effectiveness and self assessment. This year’s event also will feature several sessions focused on energy efficiency and climate change, including “Selling energy efficiency to your customers, “Smart Grid 101: What Boards and managers need to know, “Renewable energy technology: public power case studies and “Lighting efficiency: your best ROI options. For more information, visit