FMPA Weekly | Dec. 12, 2011 | Member Edition

FMPA Weekly

 

A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members

 

Dec. 12, 2011

 


 

LAST WEEK

 

Audit and Risk Oversight Committee

FMPA’s Audit and Risk Oversight Committee (AROC) met last Thursday and approved a risk review and recommendation to the Executive Committee of a revision to FMPA’s Origination Transaction Risk Management Policy. The Committee also discussed a recommendation of physical natural gas purchase structures for decreasing purchase price volatility. After consideration, the Committee agreed to request a joint workshop with the Executive Committee to discuss the recommendation. In addition, the AROC requested input from other experts. The full agenda package is available on the Member Portal Contact: Rich Popp

 

ARP Executive Committee

The ARP Executive Committee met last Thursday and approved the Committee’s 2012 meeting schedule. The Committee agreed to change its regular monthly meetings to the third Thursday of every month with some exceptions. The Committee also discussed a recommendation from FMPA’s Audit and Risk Oversight Committee (AROC) to consider physical natural gas purchase structures for decreasing purchase price volatility and agreed to hold a joint workshop with the AROC and other experts on a date to be determined. An agenda item called Inteal Hedging was added to the information items at the request of Kissimmee Utility Authority. The Committee agreed to include this topic at its joint workshop with the AROC. The full agenda package is available on the Member Portal. Contact: Nick Guarriello

 

FMPA Goveance Committee

FMPA’s Goveance Committee met last Thursday to discuss weighted voting. The Committee reviewed the Executive Committee’s current supermajority voting structure and options for consideration. The Committee agreed to continue the discussion at its next meeting scheduled for Feb. 16 following the Executive Committee meeting. Contact: Nick Guarriello

 

Cane Island Unit 4

Close out of the Cane Island Unit 4 construction project determined that the total cost to build the combined-cycle unit was $463.5 million, which is $15.5 million, or 3.2%, under the $479 million budget. Congratulations to the team that completed this significant project on time and within budget. Contact: Tom Reedy

 

St. Lucie Audit Refund Received

FMPA’s Lucie Project participants received a $469,000 refund last week from Florida Power & Light (FPL) for overbilling errors during calendar years 2009 and 2010. FMPA’s Contract Compliance Department conducted an audit earlier this year of monthly billings from FPL to the minority owners of St. Lucie Unit 2 and found a total of $1.5 million in overbilling errors. FPL agreed to all 12 of the audit findings and has now refunded the total amount. Contact: Rich Popp

 

Stock Island Generating Facility

Combustion Turbine Unit 4 at the Stock Island Generating Facility underwent control system software upgrades last week for enhanced emission compliance. An annual borescope inspection of all combustion turbines at Stock Island was also performed. This week, plant personnel, along with personnel from Kissimmee Utility Authority, will begin modifying cooling water piping to improve the performance of two diesel generating units. Contact: David Schumann

 

Peer Review

FMPA conducted a peer review last week for the customer service operation of a member. FMPA’s Peer Review program allows municipal electric utilities to request an independent review of its policies, procedures and practices in specific functional areas. Reviews are conducted by subject-matter experts from municipal systems around Florida. After the assessment is complete, a report is developed with observations and recommendations. Contact: Mike Siefert

 


 

THIS WEEK

 

Software Upgrade

Mark Larson, Mark McCain and FMPA’s Information Technology (IT) Department meet Monday via web-conference with Kissimmee Utility Authority IT personnel and representatives from HCONN to discuss an implementation plan for Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft SharePoint at FMPA. FMPA’s IT Steering Committee, along with input from staff volunteers, selected SharePoint for document management, records retention and compliance.

 

Member City Visit

Bud Boudreaux and Mark McCain travel to Kissimmee on Wednesday to meet with Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA) President and General Manager Jim Welsh and KUA Board member Dr. George Gant for a member city visit.

 

Purchasing Roundtable

FMPA’s annual Purchasing Roundtable is Thursday at 10 a.m. in the Board Room. Roundtable participants will discuss purchasing procedures and policies, industry changes, equipment and other topics of interest. Contact: Sharon Samuels

 

Audit and Risk Oversight Committee

FMPA’s Audit and Risk Oversight Committee meets Friday at 10 a.m. via conference call to conduct an exit interview with FMPA’s exteal auditor, Purvis Gray & Company. The Committee will discuss the fiscal 2011 financial audit, Management Letter comments and management’s responses. Contact: Rich Popp

 

BreadBasket Holiday Donation

FMPA, Kissimmee Utility Authority and Zachry will donate $3,000 on Friday to the Central Florida Community BreadBasket to support its food assistance and community outreach programs. The BreadBasket is located near the Cane Island Power Park and assists more than 1,200 hungry, homeless and needy families each day. The contribution marks the fourth consecutive year that the Cane Island Unit 4 construction partners have made a donation to the BreadBasket. Contact: Mark McCain

 

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 Dec. 11. Contact: Jim Atz

 


 

COMING UP

 

Excellence as a Supervisor

FMPA will host the first module of the Excellence as a Supervisor training Jan. 31, 2012, through Feb. 2, 2012, in the Board room. The program offered by Electric Cities of Georgia includes a total of six, two-day training modules. The modules are divided into two series with three modules in each series. Participants can register for Series I, Series II or both. The remaining modules will be held throughout 2012. More information is available on the Member Portal. Contact: Mike Siefert

 


 

INDUSTRY NEWS

 

PSC Approves Reduced Fuel Charge for FPL

The Florida Public Service Commission approved a reduction in 2012 fuel charges last Tuesday for Florida Power & Light (FPL) by $4.53 for a residential customer using 1,000 kWh. Coupled with other recently approved rate increases, the reduced fuel charge will decrease an FPL customer’s total 1,000 kWh bill by nearly $2, from $96.54 to $94.62. FPL requested this out-of-cycle fuel charge adjustment due to lower actual fuel costs for 2011 and lower projected natural gas prices for 2012.

 

OUC Dedicates Stanton Solar Farm

Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) dedicated a nearly 6 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) system last Wednesday located at the Curtis H. Stanton Energy Center. The Stanton Solar Farm generates enough renewable energy to power more than 600 homes. Duke Energy Renewables owns and operates the PV array, and OUC will purchase power from it for the next 20 years. The solar farm features 25,172 solar panels erected in rows across 35 acres that will tilt automatically toward the sun as it moves across the sky. The patented single-axis tracking system increases electricity output by up to 30%.

 


 

 

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

 

 


 

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