FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
Oct. 13, 2014
LAST WEEK
FMPA Member Portal Updates
FMPA recently updated the platform of the Member Portal to the latest version of Joomla. The purpose was to improve website security and administrative functionality. Users may notice subtle differences in the website’s appearance or document ordering in certain categories. Contact Ryan Dumas if you have problems logging into the Member Portal or downloading documents.
Public Power Week
Municipal electric utilities across the nation celebrated Public Power Week last week. The Fort Pierce Utilities Authority wrote a news article for its local newspaper, TC Palm. The Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA) honored 16 employees with a combined total of 275 years of service to the utility, hosted a weeklong celebration in its Customer Service department, and sponsored a free Movie in the Park event, two National Night Out cookouts and a Latin music festival. Several members posted messages and public power themed images on social media including KUA, Lakeland Electric and the Orlando Utilities Commission. Lakeland also hosted an open house for consumers to see how electricity is generated, lea how to save energy and money, understand what goes into establishing electric rates and experience operations of power equipment.
THIS WEEK
Leesburg Visit
Mark McCain and Bud Boudreaux travel to Leesburg on Monday evening to make a presentation about FMPA at the City Commission meeting.
Duke Energy Florida Transmission Rate of Retu
FMPA and representatives from Seminole Electric Cooperative participate in a settlement hearing on Tuesday with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission after a series of protests to lower the rate of retu on equity in Duke Energy Florida’s transmission formula rate from 10.8%. Contact: Michele Jackson
IT Community Roundtable
The Information Technology (IT) Community Roundtable scheduled for Wednesday at 10 a.m. has been cancelled. Contact: Sharon Samuels
Meeting with FPL
Frank Gaffney, Joe McKinney and Jason Wolfe travel to South Florida on Wednesday to meet with representatives from Florida Power & Light to discuss several operational matters, many related to electric transmission.
Policy Makers Liaisons Committee
FMPA’s Policy Makers Liaisons Committee meets Wednesday at 1 p.m. in the Board room to discuss information items, including: 1) public power education or awareness programs, 2) 2015 state legislative session, 3) Taylor Swaps, 4) potential winter 2015 fixed price natural gas hedging options, and 5) important electric issues in members’ communities. Lunch will be served at noon. The full agenda package is available on the Member Portal. Contact: Mark McCain
Audit and Risk Oversight Committee
The Audit and Risk Oversight Committee meets Thursday at 8:30 a.m. in the Board room to discuss the acceptance and approval of all regulatory assets and liabilities created by Regulatory Accounting Practices, formerly known as Statement of Financial Accounting Standard #71. The Committee will also discuss information items, including: 1) fuels market update, 2) Risk Management Policy reviews, 3) St. Lucie capital appreciation bonds report, 4) annual information technology update, 5) Protiviti update, and 6) Presidio report. The full agenda package is available on the Member Portal. Contact: Rich Popp
Board of Directors
FMPA’s Board of Directors meets Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in the Board room or immediately following the Audit and Risk Oversight Committee. The Board will discuss: 1) approval of fiscal 2014 budget amendment for the Stanton II Project, 2) approval of fiscal 2014 budget amendment for the St. Lucie Project, 3) approval of Board officers’ recommendations for the annual performance evaluations for General Manager Nick Guarriello and General Counsel Fred Bryant, 4) approval of fiscal 2015 budget amendment for the Stanton Project, 5) approval of fiscal 2015 budget amendment for the Stanton II Project, 5) approval of fiscal 2015 budget amendment for the Tri-City Project. The full agenda package is available on the Member Portal. Contact: Nick Guarriello
ARP Executive Committee
The ARP Executive Committee meets Thursday at 10 a.m. in the Board room or immediately following the Board of Directors meeting. The Committee will discuss: 1) approval of the strategic plan, 2) approval of winter 2015 fixed price natural gas structure, and 3) Taylor Swaps update and approval of recommendations. The full agenda package is available on the Member Portal. Contact: Nick Guarriello
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 Oct. 12. Contact: Jim Atz
COMING UP
Energy Auditor Roundtable
FMPA will hold an Energy Auditor Roundtable on Nov. 20 at 10 a.m. in Ocala. This semi-annual roundtable provides a forum for participants to discuss topics such as work procedures, policies and practices, industry changes, equipment and materials, and other topics of interest. The roundtable is open to any utility staff member who has an interest in energy audit-related topics. http://www.fmpa.com/index.php/component/registrationpro/?view=event&did=38> style=color: windowtext;>Registration is requested, and lunch will be provided. Contact: Sharon Samuels
Excellence as a Supervisor
Registration is open for the 2015 Excellence as a Supervisor Training. The training is designed to provide supervisors or prospective supervisors with the skills necessary to be effective leaders. Training is divided into two series consisting of three modules each. The first module will be held Feb. 3 and Feb. 4 at FMPA’s Orlando office. Registration information is available on the Member Portal. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
INDUSTRY NEWS
Report: Amount of Coal Power to Shut Down From EPA Rules Doubles Since 2011
The amount of coal-fired power capacity scheduled to shut down due to federal environmental regulations has more than doubled since 2011, http://instituteforenergyresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Power-Plant-Updates-Final.pdf> style=font-family: ‘Georgia’,’serif’; color: windowtext;>according to a report from the Institute for Energy Research (IER). New Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules to limit carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, along with past rules requiring power plants to install upgrades or shut down, will force 72.7 GW of capacity to shutter across 37 states in the coming years. This figure includes power capacity already taken offline as a result of the rules. In 2011, IER predicted EPA rules would shutter 29 GW of power. Some federal and state regulators are conceed that the number of shutdowns will jeopardize the electrical grid’s reliability and significantly increase electricity prices.
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 Christin Senior 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 Christin Senior
Florida Municipal Power Agency
8553 Commodity Circle
Orlando, FL 32819-9002
Tel 407 355-7767
Fax 407 355-5794
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