FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
July 18, 2016
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LAST WEEK
Stock Island Insurance Inspections
Representatives from FMPA’s property insurance provider, FM Global, visited the Stock Island Generating Facility in Key West last week to inspect structures and safety systems. Their report has not been issued yet, but no immediate plant safety issues were identified, and the team was impressed with site and equipment conditions as well as the facility’s management team. Contact: David Schumann
Stanton Outage
The planned outage at Stanton Unit 1 has been extended for the third time after the operator, Orlando Utilities Commission, did not accept the results of an electrical test. The unit was originally scheduled to come back online at the end of May, but now it is anticipated to be back online in mid-August. Contact: David Schumann
Solar PV Project
Eleven FMPA member cities expressed interest by last Friday’s deadline to participate in a survey of retail customers regarding solar energy. The survey is part of FMPA’s development efforts for a joint-action solar photovoltaic (PV) project. Sharon Smeenk will be in contact with representatives for each participant to schedule a call to discuss the next steps. FMPA plans to develop a Request for Proposals to select a market research firm to conduct telephone surveys for each interested FMPA member. An update will be provided this Friday at FMPA’s Board of Directors meeting.
Communicators Roundtable
Utility and city communicators were emailed last week about scheduling a Communicators Roundtable in September. The roundtable is being organized by FMPA and the Florida Municipal Electric Association. Those interested in attending are asked to complete a short survey by next Wednesday to confirm participation, availability and discussion topics. Contact: Mark McCain
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THIS WEEK
FMEA Annual Conference
The Florida Municipal Electric Association’s (FMEA) Annual Conference is Tuesday through Friday at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate. The annual FMPA luncheon will be held Thursday at noon. Visit FMEA’s website for more information.
Policy Makers Liaisons Committee
FMPA’s Policy Makers Liaisons Committee meets Thursday at 3:15 p.m. during the FMEA Annual Conference at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate. The Committee will consider three action items: 1) election of committee officers, 2) approval of the 2016-2017 meeting schedule, and 3) review and assessment of the Policy Makers Liaisons Committee charter. The full agenda package is available on the Portal. Contact: Mark McCain
Board of Directors
FMPA’s Board of Directors meets Friday at 9 a.m. in the Board room at FMPA’s Orlando office. The Board will consider three action items: 1) approval of resolution 2016-B2 – FMPA Non-ARP projects’ budgets and Agency allocations for fiscal 2017, 2) acceptance of the Executive Search Committee’s top-ranked candidate for General Manager and CEO, Jacob A. Williams, and 3) election of officers. The full agenda package is available on the Portal. Contact: Nick Guarriello
ARP Executive Committee
The ARP Executive Committee meets Friday in the Board room at FMPA’s Orlando office at 9:30 a.m. or immediately following the Board of Directors meeting. The Committee has one action item: election of Executive Committee officers. The full agenda package is available on the 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 Portal. The graph is updated through July 17. Contact: Jim Arntz
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COMING UP
Retirement Party
FMPA is planning a retirement party for General Manager and CEO Nick Guarriello. FMPA members and staff are invited to save the date for the evening of Wednesday, Aug. 24, which is the day before the FMPA goveing board meetings. Planning for the party is underway, and invitations will be sent once details are finalized.
Substation Training
FMPA is continuing to offer a series of substation training classes with the next class scheduled for Aug. 30 and 31 on the topic of substation maintenance. The training will be held at Orlando Utilities Commission’s engineering building in Orlando. The cost is $900 per two-day session. The registration deadline is Aug. 12. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
Excellence as a Supervisor
Registration is now open for the first module of Excellence as a Supervisor training on Oct. 4 and 5 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 cost for the first series is $1,100. The program is open to utility and city employees. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
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INDUSTRY NEWS
J.D. Power: Customer Satisfaction Increases for Electric Providers but Still Lags
Customer satisfaction with electric providers increased for the fourth consecutive year, according to the J.D. Power 2016 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study released last week, but electric utilities continue to lag behind other industries. The study measures satisfaction by examining six factors: 1) power quality and reliability, 2) price, 3) billing and payment, 4) corporate citizenship, 5) communications, and 6) customer service. The survey showed that the average monthly electric bill reported by customers was at its lowest level in a decade and that the reliability of service has improved. Overall satisfaction increased to an average score of 680, up 12 points from 2015. However, the industry continues to trail behind many others industries, including auto insurance (811), retail banking (793) and airlines (726). Only 11 out of 137 utility brands included in the study outperformed the airline industry average. “The lesson that utilities can lea from other high-performing service providers is that to excel you need a culture that puts customers and employees first, said John Hazen, senior director of the utility practice at J.D. Power, “and because customer expectations continue to increase, you need to have a mindset of continuous improvement to keep up.
Panel to Consider Candidates for PSC Position
A state panel will meet July 28 in Tampa to short-list candidates for the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) to replace longtime Commissioner Lisa Edgar. The Florida Public Service Commission Nominating Council is expected to designate a list of “most qualified applicants, who would then move on to interviews for the utility-regulator job. Edgar said in May that she would not seek a fourth term, choosing to leave after her current term expires at the end of this year. The Nominating Council is expected to recommend a list to Gov. Rick Scott by Sept. 15 from 11 applicants. Scott will then make an appointment. The job pays $131,000 a year for a four-year term.
Senate and House to Go to Conference on Energy Legislation
The U.S. Senate voted 84-3 last week to go to conference with the House of Representative on comprehensive energy legislation. An official conference meeting is not expected until September following the House and Senate’s retu from an extended summer recess. The decision followed the April 20 passage of the Energy Policy Modeization Act of 2015, which is supported by the American Public Power Association. The Senate will meet with House members to resolve differences between the respective Senate and House passed energy bills.
DOE to Fund APPA Physical and Cyber Security Efforts
The Department of Energy (DOE) said it will provide up to $15 million over three years to support efforts by the American Public Power Association (APPA) and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association to advance a culture of security within their utility members’ organizations. The funds will be used over the next three years to develop security tools, educational resources, updated guidelines and training on common strategies that can prepare member organizations to improve their cyber and physical security culture. Exercises, utility site assessments and a comprehensive range of information sharing are among the activities planned to upgrade members’ security capabilities.
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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 Jeff Grainger or Holly Fuller 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: Jeff Grainger or Holly Fuller.
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Florida Municipal Power Agency
8553 Commodity Circle
Orlando, FL 32819-9002
Tel 407 355-7767
Fax 407 355-5794
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