FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
Feb. 2, 2015
LAST WEEK
Member Services Advisory Committee
FMPA’s Member Services Advisory Committee met last Wednesday and approved a service confirmation for the FMPA-ECG Alliance Agreement related to the Safety Training program. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
Lineman’s Safety Program
The city of Ocala joined the Lineman’s Safety Training program offered by FMPA through Electric Cities of Georgia. Ocala is the eighteenth member to join the program. Doug Fowler, the safety trainer, will be in Ocala this month to begin the training. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
THIS WEEK
ARP Executive Committee
The ARP Executive Committee holds a special-called telephonic meeting on Tuesday at 10 a.m. The Committee will consider approval of a credit agreement with Wells Fargo and Bank of America. The agenda package is available on the Member Portal. Contact: Nick Guarriello
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors holds a special-called telephonic meeting on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., or immediately following the telephonic Executive Committee meeting. The Board will consider a service confirmation for the FMPA-ECG Alliance Agreement related to the Safety Training program. The Board also will hear an informational report on the decommissioning of Crystal River Unit 3. The agenda package is available on the Member Portal. Contact: Nick Guarriello
Concurrent Board of Directors and Executive Committee Meeting
The Board of Directors and the ARP Executive Committee will hold a special-called concurrent telephonic meeting on Tuesday at 10:45 a.m., or immediately following the telephonic Board of Directors meeting. The goveing bodies will discuss a general approach for responding to the Preliminary and Tentative findings of the Auditor General’s report. The meeting agenda is posted on the Member Portal. Contact: Nick Guarriello
Excellence as a Supervisor
FMPA hosts the first module of Excellence as a Supervisor training on Tuesday and Wednesday at FMPA’s Orlando office. 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 program is open to utility and city employees. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
All-Requirements Project January Load Statistics
The All-Requirements Project’s peak for January was 848 MW, which occurred Jan. 9 between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. The project’s load factor for January was 67%. Load factor is a ratio of actual energy (MWh) used during the period versus what would have been consumed if demand was at peak for the entire period. A higher load factor indicates more effective system utilization and results in lower average costs. The month’s peak was 80% of the budgeted peak, and energy was 98% of the budget. A graph showing the All-Requirements Project hourly load for January is available on the Member Portal. Contact: Jim Atz
COMING UP
Public Records Request Webinar
The Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) will host a webinar on Feb. 18 at 10 a.m. to discuss Florida’s Public Records Law and how to respond to public records requests. FMPA Associate General Counsel Dan O’Hagan will provide examples of how people may exploit the law by testing utility staff and file a lawsuit for failure to comply with the law in their initial response. Dan will also provide recommendations for developing public records request response policies and employee training. The webinar is free for FMEA members, and https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8532316148673545473>
Lineman’s Roundtable
FMPA’s semi-annual Lineman’s Roundtable is scheduled for May 7 at 10 a.m. in Lakeland. The roundtable provides a forum for line crews to exchange ideas on operating practices, safety, training, tools, equipment and other common issues. Registration will be available soon on http://fmpa.com/>
INDUSTRY NEWS
FPL Plans to Build Three Solar Farms and a Natural Gas Plant
Florida Power & Light (FPL) plans to build three new solar farms before the end of 2016 and one potential natural gas-fired plant by 2019. The proposed solar projects would cost between $400 million and $420 million and produce nearly 225 MW. FPL said last Monday that the plants would be built in DeSoto County near its existing solar plant in Arcadia, at Babcock Ranch in Charlotte County and in Manatee County at the site of its natural gas power plant. The new natural gas plant, if it proves to be the best and most economical option, would be located in Okeechobee County. FPL said the new plants are needed because it projects customer accounts to increase to 5 million by 2019, and it will take an additional 1,000 MW to serve them. FPL spokeswoman Alys Daly said the solar plants do not need to be approved by the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) before they are built and are not expected to have a significant impact on customers’ bills. In order to collect the costs of building the plants from customers, FPL will have to show the PSC that the plants are cost effective.
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
http://www.fmpa.com>www.fmpa.com
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