FMPA Weekly | May 21, 2012 | Member Edition

FMPA Weekly

 


A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members

 

May 21, 2012

 


 

LAST WEEK


 

Starke Appoints New Representative

The Starke City Commission last Tuesday appointed Operations Manager Marc Oody as the city’s representative to FMPA’s Board of Directors, ARP Executive Committee, Stanton, Stanton II and St. Lucie projects. Oody replaces former Operations Manager Ricky Thompson, who will serve as the city’s alteate representative. Contact: Nick Guarriello


 

Audit and Risk Oversight Committee

FMPA’s Audit and Risk Oversight Committee (AROC) met last Thursday and approved the Risk Inventory Update. The Committee also reviewed the AROC charter and decided no changes were necessary. 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: 1) the renewal of the All-Requirements Project’s Conservation Program and funding level for fiscal 2013, and 2) the Lake Worth litigation settlement. An agenda item discussing the Goveance Committee’s recommendation on the supermajority voting structure was moved from an action item to an information item at the request of Green Cove Springs. The full agenda package is available on the Member Portal. Contact: Nick Guarriello


 

Lake Worth Litigation Settlement

The ARP Executive Committee approved an $850,000 settlement last Thursday to end a lawsuit with Lake Worth. The dispute was over who should pay for certain natural gas transportation for the city’s Smith Plant. The settlement will be paid in two $425,000 installments. The first payment will be made once all settlement documents have been finalized. The second payment will be made on Oct. 1, 2012. The original terms of the proposed settlement called for FMPA to make equal monthly payments over 18 months; however, after the city’s leaders received feedback from their citizens, the Lake Worth City Commission requested that the Executive Committee consider a shorter payment term. Contact: Nick Guarriello


 

Award of Appreciation from Community BreadBasket

FMPA’s ARP Executive Committee received an award of appreciation last Thursday from the Central Florida Community BreadBasket. The BreadBasket is located near Cane Island Power Park and assists more than 1,200 hungry, homeless and needy families each day. Throughout the past four years, FMPA and its partners on the Cane Island Unit 4 project have helped support the BreadBasket through donations and volunteer projects. In 2010, 14 businesses including FMPA, Kissimmee Utility Authority, Zachry and construction contractors, completed an extreme makeover-style rebuild of an expanded food distribution facility and community center for the BreadBasket. The new space allowed the BreadBasket to handle increased needs for food assistance and provide space to expand youth and senior outreach programs, as well as other community programs.

 

Award of Appreciation for Mattey

The ARP Executive Committee presented an Award of Appreciation last Thursday to Lake Worth Utilities Director Rebecca Mattey, who retires this Friday. Throughout the past eight years, Becky has been an active contributor to FMPA and its All-Requirements Project (ARP). Under her direction as chairperson, the FMPA Goveance Committee modeized FMPA’s goveance system. As chair of the All-Requirements Project Committee and the ARP Executive Committee, she led the effort to develop a long-term power supply plan that focused on the goal of supplying reliable, affordable electricity. All-Requirements also made great strides during Becky’s tenure to modeize its fleet of generators, including the construction of Treasure Coast Energy Center and the planning of Cane Island Unit 4. Pictures of the award presentation are available on the Member Portal.

 

Business Planning and Budget Committee

FMPA’s Business Planning and Budget Committee met last Friday for the second review of the Agency’s proposed fiscal 2013 budget. The Committee’s next meeting has been changed to May 31 at 2 p.m. via teleconference. Previously, the meeting was scheduled for May 30 at 9:30 a.m. in the Board room. The agenda for the May 31 conference call will include the anticipated final review of the Agency’s proposed budget and to review the proposed fiscal 2013 budgets for all of FMPA’s power supply projects. Contact: Mark Larson


 

Key West Transmission Line Improvements

Phase one of the Dynamic VAR (DVAR) Compensation System was completed last Friday on time and under budget. This phase included state-of-the-art equipment additions at Keys Energy Services’ (KEYS) Big Pine Key and Stock Island substations to monitor and control voltage. Phase two will include upgrades to Florida Keys Electrical Cooperative’s Islamorada substation. Engineering will begin this summer, and construction is scheduled for completion by summer 2013. The DVAR system is jointly owned by FMPA, KEYS and Florida Keys Electric Cooperative. The improvements will increase the transmission import capacity from 234 MW to 320 MW along the 120-mile line that spans the length of the Florida Keys. Contact: Frank Gaffney


 

FMPA Reunion

Invitations were mailed last Friday to people from FMPA’s past who were instrumental in forming the Agency and its five power supply projects. An FMPA Reunion will take place during the 2012 FMEA-FMPA Annual Conference in Ponte Vedra Beach. The invitees—which include Board members from the late-70s and early-80s, past chairmen of FMPA’s goveing boards, past FMPA General Managers and others—will be recognized during a reception on Wednesday evening during the conference, and the lunch presentation on Thursday will include a special presentation celebrating the reunion. Contact: Nick Guarriello or Mark McCain

 



 

THIS WEEK


 

Meter Technician Certification

FMPA hosts a Meter Technician Certification Program presentation Thursday at 10 a.m. in the Board room. Lake-Sumter Community College (LSCC) Instructor John Kelly will discuss a potential Meter Technician Training Program for FMPA members through an affiliation with LSCC. Lunch will be provided. Contact: Mike Siefert


 

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 May 22. Contact: Jim Atz


 


 

COMING UP


 

Memorial Day Holiday
FMPA’s offices will be closed next Monday in observance of Memorial Day. Have a safe and happy holiday.

 

Human Resources Roundtable

FMPA will hold its Human Resources Roundtable June 7 at 10 a.m. in the Board room. Participants will discuss a variety of topics, including benefits, recruiting, employee retention, training, policies and more. The roundtable is a valuable opportunity for members to share tactics for increasing employee longevity and satisfaction. The roundtable will also be available via teleconference. Lunch will be provided, and http://www.fmpa.com/index.php/component/registrationpro/?view=event&did=43>registration; is requested. Contact: Mike Siefert


 


 

INDUSTRY NEWS


 

NRC to Increase Oversight of St. Lucie Nuclear Plant

Florida Power & Light’s (FPL) St. Lucie Unit 1 was placed under increased oversight by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) last Monday due to the number and type of unplanned reactor shutdowns. An NRC’s review of the plant’s performance in April found that Unit 1 crossed a threshold for unplanned shutdowns. The unit had two unplanned shutdowns in 2011 and one this year. Overall, the plant continues to operate safely, said NRC Region II Administrator Victor McCree, however, these shutdowns point to performance issues and a trend that needs to be addressed. FPL representatives have said all three shutdowns were manual, as opposed to automatically triggered. The commission still is investigating to see whether to count the third shutdown. The commission has not yet scheduled extra oversight, pending the outcome of the investigation.

 

FPL Adds $600 Million to Cost of Nuclear Uprates

The cost of increasing generating capacity at Florida Power & Light’s (FPL) four existing nuclear reactors has increased to $3 billion, which is nearly $600 million more than estimated last year and double the original estimate. FPL is in the midst of upgrade projects at its St. Lucie and Turkey Point nuclear units. About three-fourths of the project will be completed by the end of 2012. So far, 31 MW has been added, with 336 MW more coming online this year, and the final 123 MW in 2013. In 2009, FPL told the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) that the two projects would cost $1.5 billion. Since then, the project’s capacity has increased from 450 MW to 490 MW. The latest cost estimate range is $2.95 billion to $3.15 billion, up from last year’s estimate of $2.32 billion to $2.48 billion, according to FPL’s Vice President of Nuclear Uprates Terry Jones in April 27 testimony to the PSC. A year ago, 36% of the engineering had been completed, but now 90% has been complete, Jones said. The higher cost reflects increased Nuclear Regulatory Commission requirements, design evolution, and construction and implementation logistics, he said. Customers will pay for the uprates over the units’ lifetimes.

 

Hardee Confirmed to Kissimmee Utility Authority Board

The Kissimmee City Commission last Tuesday confirmed the appointment of Reginald Hardee to a second five-year term on the Kissimmee Utility Authority Board of Directors. Hardee joined the board in 2007. He has served as director, assistant secretary and secretary, and currently serves as vice chairman. Hardee is the district information system manager for Florida’s Tupike Enterprise. In 2011, Hardee was appointed by the American Public Power Association to a three-year term on its national Policy Makers Council. Hardee will be swo in at the Board’s October meeting and serve until Sept. 30, 2017.

 


 

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 Jane Stewart 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 Jane Stewart

 


 

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