FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
Feb. 28, 2011
LAST WEEK
Cane Island Unit 4
Steam blows at Cane Island Unit 4 resumed last Tuesday and were successfully completed last Thursday. The steam blows were completed within the allotted time and without any questions from area citizens about the sound and steam. Recent operations of Unit 4 for gas blows, steam blows and rough tuning consumed less fuel than the construction contract with Zachry allows, resulting in savings for the project. Contact: David Schumann
FMPA Celebrates 33 Years of Working Together
FMPA’s members celebrated the 33rd anniversary last Thursday of the Agency’s first official meeting. To coincide with this event, FMPA’s first general manager, Calvin Henze, published stories of FMPA’s history and development during his tenure from 1978 to 1992. Mr. Henze’s reflections date back to a time when FMPA’s first office was his hotel room and provide a unique insight into what it took for the Agency to get where it is today. Anyone interested in the history of FMPA can read Mr. Henze’s retrospective on the Member Portal.
ARP Executive Committee
FMPA’s ARP Executive Committee met last Thursday and approved a special protection system at Cane Island Power Park. The Executive Committee also voted on a proposed change in the All-Requirements’ demand rate, but the motion did not pass by supermajority, as requested by two members for this item. The full agenda package is available on the Member Portal for review.
Finance Meetings
Members of FMPA’s Treasury Department met with representatives from Fifth Third Bank last Friday to discuss liquidity options and direct bank loans. The Treasury Department will participate in meetings this week with Barclays Bank, Bank of America and PNC Bank. Contact: Janet Davis
THIS WEEK
APPA Legislative Rally
Nick Guarriello, Fred Bryant, Mark McCain and representatives from 16 of Florida’s municipal electric utilities will attend the APPA Legislative Rally in Washington, D.C., this week. While in the nation’s capitol, they will meet with members of Congress to discuss energy and environmental issues. A copy of the issue book, including FMPA’s two-page talking points on key issues, is posted on the Member Portal. FMPA will host a reception Wednesday for its members, Florida’s Congressional Representatives and their staff.
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 Feb. 27. Contact: Jim Atz
Special Dates
Congratulations to Cara Gowan, who celebrates two years with FMPA on Wednesday, March 2.
Congratulations to Denise Fuentes, who celebrates five years with FMPA on Sunday, March 6.
COMING UP
Business Model Working Group
FMPA’s Business Model Working Group meets March 8 at 10 a.m. in the Board room. Participants will discuss FMPA’s generation fuel mix and hear a presentation on Florida Gas Utility. An agenda package will be e-mailed to committee members this week. Contact: Nick Guarriello
APPA Annual Engineering and Operations Technical Conference
The American Public Power Association holds its annual Engineering and Operations Technical Conference from March 20 to 23 in Memphis, Tenn. The conference is designed for public power technical experts, utility directors, city managers and electric utility management and operations professionals. Attendees will have an opportunity to ea professional development hours. To register, or to find more information, visit http://www.appanet.org/events/index.cfm?ItemNumber=27746>APPA’s; website.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Electricity Panel Sees No Comprehensive Energy Legislation Ahead
A panel of electricity experts meeting at a conference sponsored by the Department of Energy agreed that the chances of a broad energy bill passing Congress this year are “slim to none. The five panelists did say that narrow bills focusing on cyber security or implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act may have a good chance of passage. Congress also is likely to focus attention on a federal clean energy standard. APPA Vice President of Legislative Affairs Joy Ditto, one of the panelists, said cyber security was “one of the few bipartisan issues that can get through. Glenn English, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, sees a clean energy standard having bipartisan support in the Senate but facing “a tremendous uphill struggle in the House.
APPA Calls on SEC to Revise Proposal on Municipal Advisors
The American Public Power Association (APPA) asked the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to reconsider its proposal requiring members of city-appointed goveing boards to register as municipal advisers. APPA said that singling out appointed boards for differing treatment “makes no sense and that appointed boards, like elected boards and city councils, “are accountable to the citizens that make up their communities. APPA worries that making appointed board members subject to registration could result in less effective goveance and add to the costs of serving on a board, saying “given the uncertainty of what constitutes advice, board members will be understandably hesitant to comprehensively assess management’s financial proposals.
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.
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