FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
Sept. 26, 2011
LAST WEEK
Board of Directors
FMPA’s Board of Directors met last Wednesday and approved an amendment to the St. Lucie Project fiscal 2011 budget. The full agenda package is available on the Member Portal. Contact: Nick Guarriello
ARP Executive Committee
The ARP Executive Committee met last Thursday and approved additional funds for legal fees and costs for the Lake Worth litigation. The full agenda package is available on the Member Portal. Contact: Nick Guarriello
Audit and Risk Oversight Committee
FMPA’s Audit and Risk Oversight Committee met last Thursday and approved action items including: 1) FAS 71 transactions, and 2) continuing to use McNeary for insurance consulting. The full agenda package is available on the Member Portal. Contact: Rich Popp
Vero Beach Purchase Power Entitlements
FMPA responded last Thursday to Vero Beach’s request for qualifications and intent to purchase the city’s entitlements from the St. Lucie, Stanton and Stanton II projects. Upon receipt and review of the letters of interest, the city plans to notify qualified parties of the need for an interview, which the city said would be held the week of Sept. 26. Contact: Nick Guarriello
All-Requirements 101
Nick Guarriello, Mark Larson, Tom Reedy and Jody Finklea presented FMPA’s All-Requirements 101 seminar last Tuesday to the Green Cove Springs City Council and answered questions from the Council. The presentation was well received and another meeting may be held in the future for further discussion.
All-Requirements Bond Issue
FMPA closed last Friday on approximately $116.5 million of variable rate bonds for the All-Requirements Project. The Refunding Revenue Bonds Series 2011 A-1, 2011 A-2 and 2011 B bonds will be used to refinance the Series 2008 D and 2008 E bonds. Bond Series 2011 A-1, totaling $42.3 million, and Series 2011 A-2, totaling $29.7 million, were bought by PNC Bank. Series 2011 B, totaling $44.5 million, was bought by SunTrust. Contact: Janet Davis
United Way’s Days of Caring
FMPA staff participated in United Way’s Days of Caring last Friday. Days of Caring is an annual community-wide volunteer event that supports community nonprofit organizations. Twenty staff members volunteered at online” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8DJ95MV>online survey by Friday. Contact: Mike Siefert
Member City Visits
Bud Boudreaux and Fred Bryant travel to the city of Starke on Thursday to meet with City Operations Manager Ricky Thompson and Chair of FMPA’s Policy Makers Liaisons Committee Scott Roberts.
Cane Island Unit 4 Outage
Cane Island Unit 4 will be taken offline this Thursday through Oct. 7 for a planned fall outage. Contact: David Schumann
New Fiscal Year Begins Saturday
Saturday is the first day of FMPA’s new fiscal year. The Accounting Department will begin closing the books on fiscal 2011 and preparing for the year-end audit. Staff will prepare a preliminary audit report in October. FMPA’s exteal auditors, Purvis Gray & Company, will be in the office beginning Oct. 31 to conduct the year-end audit and finalize the audit report. Contact: Mark Larson
Ruppel Transfers to Audit Department
Congratulations to Steve Ruppel, who transfers on Monday to the vacant Contract Compliance Auditor III position in the Audit Department. Steve will report to Liyuan Woeer and focus on FMPA audits. In the interim, Steve’s Risk Department responsibilities will be performed by Rich Popp or Kristi Knight.
All-Requirements Project Weekly Load Statistics
The weekly update of the All-Requirements Project historical load graph has been posted on the Member Portal. The graph is updated through Sept. 25. Contact: Jim Atz
Special Dates
Congratulations to Michele Jackson, who celebrates three years with FMPA on Friday, Sept. 30.
Congratulations to Fred Bryant, who celebrates 13 years with FMPA on Saturday, Oct. 1, although he has been FMPA’s general counsel since the Agency’s inception in 1978.
Congratulations to Tim Jackson, who celebrates four years with FMPA on Saturday, Oct. 1.
COMING UP
Software Upgrade
FMPA’s Information Technology (IT) Department is launching a multi-stage initiative to implement a new document management system. FMPA’s IT Steering Committee, along with input from staff volunteers, selected Microsoft SharePoint for document management, records retention and compliance. The selection of SharePoint also means that FMPA is best served to change is email program from Lotus Notes to Microsoft Outlook. Prior to implementing SharePoint and Outlook, IT will conduct a series of hardware and software upgrades so that all FMPA employees will have Windows 7 software, Microsoft Office 2010 and the compatible hardware. After these initial upgrades are complete, FMPA will install Outlook and SharePoint on a limited number of test computers. Next, training will be conducted with all employees. Finally, after training is complete, Outlook and SharePoint will be deployed to all users. Files saved in FMPA’s current document management systems, DominoDoc and Quicker, will be transferred to SharePoint. FMPA be working with Kissimmee Utility Authority’s IT personnel and with HCONN, a consulting firm that specializes in SharePoint, throughout the transition.
Public Power Week
Public power utilities across the United States will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Public Power Week on Oct. 2 through Oct.8. This annual event is a great opportunity to tell the public power story and to communicate the unique benefits of your hometown utility to your community. The APPA’s” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.publicpower.org/special/index.cfm?ItemNumber=9414&navItemNumber=21076>APPA’s website for more information.
ARP Telephonic Rate Workshop
The ARP Executive Committee will meet Oct. 6 at 2 p.m. via conference call for the monthly All-Requirements Project rate workshop. Contact: Jim Atz
FMEA Utility Education Days
The Florida Municipal Electric Association’s 2011 Utility Education and Trade Show Days are scheduled for Oct. 18 at the Jupiter Beach Hotel and Oct. 19 at the Gainesville Hilton. Seminar topics including customer service, safety and training, transmission and distribution and lineworker skills. The event also includes a trade show, showcasing industry products and services for every aspect of the utility industry. Watch FMEA’s FMEA’s” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.publicpower.com/ued.shtml>FMEA’s website for more information.
Advanced Lineworker Certificate Program
The Florida Advanced Lineworker Certificate Program is accepting applications. The three-year program requires two training classes per year. The first of six classes is Oct. 18 through Oct. 20 at Ocala Utility Services. Program information is available on the Member Portal. Contact: Mike Siefert
Lineman’s Roundtable
FMPA will host its semi-annual Lineman’s Roundtable Oct. 20 at Ocala Utility Services’ Operations Center. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the roundtable, which provides line crews an opportunity to exchange ideas on operating practices, safety, training, tools and equipment. http://www.fmpa.com/index.php/component/registrationpro/?view=event&did=37>Registration; is requested and lunch will be provided. Contact: Sharon Samuels
PowerLine Workers Apprenticeship Program
The PowerLine Workers Apprenticeship Program is accepting applications. The three-year program meets annually for five days. The first session is Oct. 24 to Oct. 28 at the Adel Training Center in Adel, Ga. Program information is available on the Member Portal. Contact: Mike Siefert
Florida Energy Summit
The Florida Energy Summit is scheduled for Oct. 26 to Oct. 28 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel in Orlando. Leaders from the agricultural, utility, solar, govement, academic, technology and financial communities will come together to discuss the development of the state’s renewable energy industry and conservation practices. Topics include renewable energy technologies, solar energy, the future of alteative vehicles and more. Visit the APPA’s” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.publicpower.org/Symposium/SmartGrid/content.cfm?ItemNumber=32196&&navItemNumber=32164>APPA’s website.
Groundman Certification Program
The Groundman Certification Program is Jan. 31, 2012, to Feb. 3, 2012, at the Newnan Training Center in Newnan, Ga. Program information is available on the Member Portal. Contact: Mike Siefert
INDUSTRY NEWS
FERC Proposes Version 4 Cyber Standards for Critical Infrastructure
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) proposed revisions to eight critical infrastructure protection reliability standards on Sept. 15 that include a new method of identifying critical cyber assets. The proposed Version 4 standards are an interim step, FERC said, in directing the industry and the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) to continue developing a comprehensive approach to assure the grid can withstand a cyber security incident. The new standard would replace the existing risk-based assessment methodology for identifying critical assets with 17 uniform “bright line criteria, making the process more consistent and clear by limiting discretion in the identification of such assets. The Commission’s Version 4 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) stressed that NERC has not addressed all the modifications directed by the Commission’s Order No. 706, which approved the original standards in January 2008. The NOPR would require NERC to make a filing to fully comply with Order No. 706 by the end of the third quarter of 2012. Comments on the proposed rule are due 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.
APPA Urges Super Committee to Consider Benefits of Tax-Exempt Financing
Elimination of the tax exemption for municipal bonds would result in a direct local tax on all citizens, American Public Power Association President and CEO Mark Crisson told members of the Select Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction. In letters to each of the panel’s 12 members, Crisson said continued access to and flexibility in the use of tax-exempt bonds is essential to enable public power utilities to continue to provide electricity and other essential services, such as advanced communication services, and to do so in a cost-effective manner. Crisson urged the committee to consider the benefits of tax-exempt financing saying if issuers cannot convince investors of viability, projects are unable to move forward.
FPL Asks for Base Rate Hike
Florida Power & Light (FPL) filed a http://www.floridapsc.com/library/FILINGS/11/06724-11/06724-11.pdf>petition; last Monday with the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) requesting to raise base rates by nearly $21 million for power uprate projects at its four nuclear units that will be placed in service in 2011. The proposed increase would cost an additional 23 cents a month starting in January for residential customers who use 1,000 kWh of power. This increase is in addition to a http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/business/realestate/housekeys/blog/2011/09/an_fpl_bill_for_someone.html” target=new>$2.49 estimated increase in January for fuel and other costs. Regulators will weigh the $2.49 proposed increase in November. It is unclear when they will consider the base-rate proposal. A provision in FPL’s agreement to freeze base rates until 2013 allows for rate increases for some new plants when they start operating. State law allows utilities to start charging customers to operate and maintain nuclear power projects once they are placed in service.
FMPA Weekly is published by FMPA for employees and goveing boards of FMPA member utilities. Questions or comments about this newsletter may be directed to Ryan Dumas or Ashley Henderscheid This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it in FMPA’s Public Relations Department.
Want more background on the names and terms used in this newsletter? Check out FMPA’s Glossary, which features some of the most frequently mentioned committees, companies, places and terms, or contact the person named in each FMPA story to lea more. (Click here for the Staff Directory.)
Have a question, comment or story idea for the newsletter? FMPA welcomes your feedback at any time. Contact: Ryan Dumas or Ashley Henderscheid
Florida Municipal Power Agency
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