FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
Sept. 12, 2016
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LAST WEEK
MSDS online Kickoff Meeting
A kickoff meeting was held last Wednesday for a new online system FMPA is preparing to implement for tracking more than 2,000 chemicals used at Cane Island Power Park, Treasure Coast Energy Center and Stock Island Generating Facility. The new software, called MSDSonline, will electronically manage FMPA’s Material Safety Data Sheet system and will enhance environmental, health and safety regulatory compliance. It will also be more user friendly to operators at the power plants. Trent Lewis is heading up the effort for FMPA and is working with the vendor to build the system. It is expected to go live this fall.
Treasury Department Personnel Changes
Janet Davis retired last Wednesday after serving as FMPA’s Treasurer for 17 years. Ed Nunez has been named Acting Treasurer. Contact: Mark Larson
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THIS WEEK
Welcome, Jacob Williams
Please welcome Jacob Williams, FMPA’s new General Manager and CEO, who joins the staff on Monday. Williams has 30 years of experience in the utility industry. He previously served as Vice President, Generation and Emissions Technologies at Peabody Energy in St. Louis, Mo. We are happy to have Jacob as a member of the FMPA team.
General Fund Transfer Survey
The preliminary results from a survey of general fund transfer policies for FMPA’s members has been posted on the Portal. The comparative data for fiscal 2015 shows retail sales, total operating electric revenues and electric fund transfers for each member. If you have not submitted your survey, please provide your responses by clicking on this survey link. Please respond as soon as possible. Contact: Ann Beckwith
ARP Section 29 Workshop
The ARP Executive Committee will hold a workshop Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the Board room of FMPA’s Orlando office to discuss the Section 29 withdrawal cost estimate protocols. Contact: Jacob Williams
Audit and Risk Oversight Committee
FMPA’s Audit and Risk Oversight Committee (AROC) meets Thursday at 8:30 a.m. in the Board room of FMPA’s Orlando office. The committee will discuss four action items: 1) approval of annual review and assessment of the AROC charter, 2) approval of vendor risk review recommendation, 3) approval of regulatory assets and liabilities, and 4) approval of audits for Stanton Energy Center Units 1 and 2 as well as Indian River Combustion Turbine Units A, B, C and D. The full agenda package is available on the Portal. Contact: Rich Popp
Board of Directors
FMPA’s Board of Directors meets Thursday in the Board room at FMPA’s Orlando office at 9:30 a.m., or immediately following the Audit and Risk Oversight Committee meeting. The Board will consider six action items: 1) approval of the Finance Team’s recommendation of swap advisory selection, 2) approval of an amendment to the fiscal 2016 budget for the Stanton Project, 3) approval of an amendment to the fiscal 2016 budget for the Stanton II Project, 4) approval of an amendment to the fiscal 2016 budget for the Tri-City Project, 5) approval of an amendment to the fiscal 2016 budget for the St. Lucie Project, and 6) approval of Board officers’ evaluation of the General Manager and CEO and General Counsel. The full agenda package is available on the Portal. Contact: Jacob Williams
ARP Executive Committee
The ARP Executive Committee meets Thursday in the Board room at FMPA’s Orlando office at 10 a.m., or immediately following the Board of Directors meeting. The committee will consider four action items: 1) approval of the ARP contract Section 29 withdrawal payment substantially final estimate for Vero Beach, 2) approval of KEYS TARP O&M Amendment 2, 3) approval of the Finance Team’s recommendation of swap advisory selection, and 4) approval of appointing Jacob Williams as FMPA’s director to Florida Gas Utility. The full agenda package is available on the Portal. Contact: Jacob Williams
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 Sept. 11. Contact: Jim Arntz
All-Requirements Project August Load Statistics
The All-Requirements Project’s non-Contract Rate of Delivery peak for the month of August was 1262 MW, which occurred August 22 between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. The project’s load factor for August 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 monthly peak was 106% of the budgeted peak, and energy was 106% of the budget. A graph showing the All-Requirements Project hourly load for August is available on the Portal. Contact: Jim Arntz
Special Dates
Congratulations to Kurian Varghese, who celebrates two years with FMPA on Thursday, Sept. 15.
Congratulations to Nick Guarriello, who celebrates seven years with FMPA on Friday, Sept. 16.
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COMING UP
Communicators Roundtable
Friday is the deadline to register for the Communicators Roundtable scheduled for Sept. 21 at 10 a.m. in FMPA’s Orlando office. The roundtable provides a forum for utility communicators to discuss topics common to communications and marketing departments at public power utilities. The roundtable is free, and lunch will be provided. Registration is available on FMPA’s website. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
Market Research Task Force
The Market Research Task Force for the solar photovoltaic project meets Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. via conference call to evaluate proposals received from market research firm. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
Advanced Metering Initiative
Electric Cities of Georgia (ECG) is supporting the development of two Advanced Metering Initiative (AMI) pilot projects on behalf of its Georgia cities. The pilots are designed to test two different technologies and assist ECG members with their local strategies for deploying AMI. As part of the FMPA-ECG Alliance, ECG has extended an invitation to Florida cities to join the Georgia cities at information meeting on the projects. The presentations will be held Sept. 27 in two south-Georgia cities of Fitzgerald and Douglas. The Fitzgerald Utility Commission is piloting a system from Elster (now Honeywell) and Leidos. A presentation about that system will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., including lunch. The city of Douglas is piloting a system from Tantalus. A presentation on that system will be held from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. At both presentations, attendees will hear from the AMI providers, ECG staff and local utility officials. Information will be provided on meter data systems, data backhaul communication, hosting strategies, customer and utility portals and other AMI system capabilities. FMPA members interested in attending are asked to RSVP with Sharon Smeenk at FMPA.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Power Restoration after Hurricane Hermine
Only 325 electric customers in Tallahassee were without power as of Friday afteoon after an estimated 158,000 lost power when Hurricane Hermine swept through the northe portion of Florida a little more than a week ago. After the hurricane moved through Tallahassee, more than 80% of the city’s electric system was without power. Crews from municipal utilities in Bartow, Fort Pierce, Jacksonville Beach, Key West, Kissimmee, Lafayette, La., Lakeland, Ocala, Orlando and Thomasville, Ga., along with crews from Gulf Power all helped in the restoration. Officials with the city of Tallahassee, along with those from Leon County, estimate that more than $4.6 million has been spent on power restoration and an additional $3 million has been spent on debris removal.
Opponents Align to Oppose Solar Amendment in Florida
Opponents of a solar-energy ballot initiative backed by major utilities announced a coalition last Wednesday that links environmentalists and the Green Party of Florida with groups of Republicans and Libertarians. The “Vote No on 1 campaign opposes a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot. The proposal, known as Amendment 1, essentially would put into the state Constitution existing rules on the use of solar energy in Florida, according to a report from the News Service of Florida. Critics of Amendment 1 said the measure would limit rooftop energy choices, reduce competition and further expand the “monopoly powers of the state’s giant utilities. Libertarians and Republicans who joined environmentalists in opposition said they signed on because they see the proposal expanding regulation and not benefiting the free market. Other groups opposing the proposal include the League of Women Voters of Florida, Floridians for Solar Choice, the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association, the Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida, the Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida and the Christian Coalition. The amendment’s supporters, who call themselves Consumers for Smart Solar, have raised $18.8 million as of Aug. 26. Much of the money has come from the state’s investor-owned utilities. Constitutional amendments require 60% voter approval to pass.
Energy Storage Grows
More than 40 MW of energy storage was installed in the U.S. in the second quarter of 2016, an increase of 126% over the first quarter, according to a report from GTM Research and the Energy Storage Association. “This quarter marked several storage firsts, such as the first grid-scale project in MISO and a large solar-plus-storage at a municipal utility in Ohio, said Ravi Manghani, GTM Research’s director of energy storage. “Additionally the industry received a big boost from the White House, with recently announced public and private commitments that will result in 1.3 gigawatts of new storage deployments and, more importantly, spur a billion dollars in storage investments.
Ten-Year Site Plans
The Florida Public Service Commission will hold a workshop this Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. to discuss the Ten-Year Site Plans for Florida’s largest electric utilities.
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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 Nikki Bloomfield 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.
Have a question, comment or story idea for the newsletter? FMPA welcomes your feedback at any time. Contact: Jeff Grainger or Nikki Bloomfield.
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Florida Municipal Power Agency
8553 Commodity Circle
Orlando, FL 32819-9002
Tel 407 355-7767
Fax 407 355-5794
http://www.fmpa.com
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