FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
Dec. 13, 2010
LAST WEEK
AROC Telephonic Meeting
FMPA’s Audit and Risk Oversight Committee met last Monday via conference call and approved a risk review and recommendation for the city of Quincy’s power purchase agreement with FMPA’s All-Requirements Project. Contact: Rich Popp
Board of Directors
FMPA’s Board of Directors met last Thursday and approved action items including: 1) a lobbying contract with Bill Peebles, 2) a services contract with Electric Cities of Georgia, and 3) a financing option for the St. Lucie Project’s 2011 capital budget. Contact: Sue Utley
ARP Executive Committee
The ARP Executive Committee met last Thursday and approved action items including: 1) the 2011 meeting schedule, 2) a lobbying contract with Bill Peebles, 3) revisions to the net metering renewable generation credit calculation, 4) Cane Island Unit 4 contractual service agreement with GE, 5) fiscal year 2007-2008 Cane Island audit report, 6) a line of credit with JPMorgan Chase Bank, 7) Progress Energy network transmission service agreements, 8) Keys TARP and Operations and Maintenance agreements, 9) the city of Quincy power purchase agreement, and 10) extension for Gulfstream Natural Gas transportation agreement. Contact: Michelle Pisarri
THIS WEEK
Fort Pierce Public Workshop
FMPA and the city of Fort Pierce host a public workshop tonight from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Fort Pierce City Hall. FMPA’s General Manager and CEO Nick Guarriello will explain where electricity comes from, what FMPA is doing to lower power costs and answer questions from the public.
Progress Energy Negotiations
FMPA’s Planning Department is completing negotiations for Network Integration Transmission Service agreements under Progress Energy’s Open Access Transmission Tariff. FMPA’s Operations staff is working with the Florida Municipal Power Pool to implement the new procedures, which begin Jan. 1, 2011. Contact: Michele Jackson
Loan Closing
FMPA’s Treasury Department is finalizing a qualified loan with PNC Bank for the St. Lucie Project’s 2011 capital budget this Thursday. Treasury staff is also working to finalize a line of credit for the All-Requirements Project with JPMorgan Bank by the end of the year. Contact: Janet Davis
Member City Visit
Bud Boudreaux travels to Bushnell on Friday for a member city visit.
CR3 Outage Update
Reactor fueling at Crystal River Unit 3 Nuclear Plant is now complete. Tendon re-tensioning modeling continues, and the unit’s start-up is targeted for the first quarter of 2011.
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 Dec. 12. Contact: Jim Atz
COMING UP
Professional Development Hours for Engineers
FMPA has partnered with SunCam Continuing Education to offer a training program on rules and laws for Florida engineers. The online course provides professional development hours for professional engineers. For information about this cost-effective and convenient way to ea professional development credits, contact Mike Siefert.
FPL Rate Settlement
FMPA’s next meeting to continue settlement discussions with Florida Power & Light over its proposed increase in transmission rates is Feb. 25. The hearing will take place at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C. Contact: Michele Jackson
INDUSTRY NEWS
Gov. Crist Approves Gainesville Biomass Plant
Gov. Charlie Crist and the Florida Cabinet gave unanimous approval last Tuesday to a wood-buing power plant that could serve 70,000 homes in the Gainesville area. Advocates for the plant testified that the 100 megawatt biomass plant would help Gainesville Regional Utilities diversify Florida’s fuel mix and advance renewable energy. Critics said the plant will result in higher rates and increased greenhouse gases. The meeting is the last for Crist and his cabinet, who leave office next month.
Utility Groups Urge Congress to Clarify Exemption from Financial Reform Bill
The American Public Power Association (APPA) and other utility associations are supporting legislation to clarify that end users of derivatives should not be required to post margin in their swap transactions. In a Dec. 3 letter to senators, APPA said that “providing for a clear end-user exemption is absolutely critical for us to maintain stable and affordable rates while continuing to invest in America’s energy infrastructure. APPA also told senators that the utility industry makes use of derivates, both over-the-counter and through exchanges, to manage commercial risks and keep rates stable and affordable. Congress originally intended to exempt end-users from margin requirements in the Dodd-Frank Financial Reform Act, but inadvertently used vague language in the final version of the bill.
FMPA Weekly is published by FMPA’s Public Relations Department for all employees of the Agency. Questions or comments about this newsletter may be directed to Ryan Dumas or Lance Larsson.
Want more background on the names and terms used in this newsletter?