FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
Nov. 21, 2016
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LAST WEEK
Market Research Task Force
The Market Research Task Force met last Tuesday to finalize the solar energy survey. A final draft of the survey instrument was emailed to Task Force members last Thursday, and each participant was to communicate its approval to proceed by last Friday. The next steps are to pre-test the survey by the end of November and then begin actual surveys in December. GreatBlue Research will contact each participant when survey calls will begin into their community and when calls are complete. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
Board of Directors
FMPA’s Board of Directors met last Thursday via conference call and heard information items, including: 1) an update on the survey and RFP for a joint action solar PV project, 2) FPL St. Lucie Project transmission service agreement, and 3) FMPA draft 2017 top 10 management goals for 2017. The full agenda package is available on the Portal. Contact: Jacob Williams
ARP Executive Committee
The ARP Executive Committee met last Thursday via conference call and approved funding of a special assessment for the Florida Municipal Electric Association on behalf of 13 All-Requirements Project participants and heard an information item discussing draft top 10 management goals for 2017. The full agenda package is available on the Portal. Contact: Jacob Williams
Top 10 Management Goals
Jacob Williams presented a draft of the top 10 management goals for 2017 at FMPA’s goveing board meetings last Thursday. The goals are a result of several brainstorming sessions with the leadership team and are intended to help focus staff’s efforts throughout the coming calendar year. Specific goals were proposed in the following areas: 1) safety, 2) compliance, 3) power costs, 4) reliability, 5) power sales opportunities, 6) legislative preparedness, 7) joint action solar project, 8) member relationships, 9) meeting member needs, and 10) investment in people. A status report on progress toward each goal is planned for every Board of Directors and Executive Committee meeting. Contact: Jacob Williams
Tallahassee Visit
Jacob Williams, Fred Bryant and Frank Gaffney traveled to Tallahassee last Friday to meet with General Manager Rob McGarrah and other staff members from the City of Tallahassee Utilities.
Grant Opportunities
Sharon Smeenk emailed a list of potential grant opportunities last Friday to interested FMPA members. The Member Services Department has purchased a subscription to Grantfinder.com to assist members in identifying potential funding sources. The service was purchased after several members requested assistance with grants and the service options were discussed with the Member Services Advisory Committee. Member Services is sending out periodic emails with grant opportunities. If you would like to receive these emails, contact Sharon Smeenk.
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THIS WEEK
Member City Visit
Jacob Williams and Frank Gaffney travel to Bartow on Tuesday for a member city visit.
Thanksgiving Holiday
FMPA’s offices will be closed Thursday and Friday in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Have a safe and happy holiday.
Purchasing Roundtable
The deadline to register for FMPA’s Purchasing Roundtable is Wednesday. The roundtable will be held Dec. 1 at 10 a.m. in FMPA’s Orlando office. The roundtable is free and open to any utility staff member with an interest in procurement topics, such as work procedures, policies, practices, industry changes and other topics. Contact: Sharon Samuels
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 Nov. 20. Contact: Jim Arntz
Special Dates
Congratulations to Tom Jones, who celebrates nine years with FMPA on Sunday, Nov. 27.
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COMING UP
Substation Training Series
Registration is now open for session two of FMPA’s Substation Training Series on Jan. 17-18 in Orlando. The series provides courses specifically designed for substation personnel and other crews who work in and around substations. This session will cover substation inspections, electrical equipment testing, battery and breaker testing and more. The cost is $900 per person and includes lunch. The registration deadline is Dec. 22. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
Distribution Services and Lineworker Staffing Roundtable
FMPA and the Florida Municipal Electric Association will host a roundtable to discuss distribution services and lineworker staffing on Jan. 25 at 10 a.m. in FMPA’s Orlando office. Utilities dealing with these issues—and utilities that have dealt with them—are encouraged to attend the roundtable to share ideas and explore ways municipal utilities might work together to address these important issues that impact a vital part of operating an electric system. Attendance is free, and lunch will be provided. Registration information will be available soon. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
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INDUSTRY NEWS
KEYS Utility Board Approves Election Changes
The Keys Energy Services (KEYS) Utility Board voted last Wednesday to pursue legislative changes to the make-up and election of its Board, allowing residents from outside the city of Key West to serve on the Utility Board. The changes to KEYS’ Enabling Act must be ratified by the Florida Legislature. If approved, the changes could go into effect as early as the 2018 and 2020 election cycles. The Utility Board will continue to have five members, and three members would continue to have residency requirements in the city of Key West, but the first change would require two members to have residency requirements in KEYS’ service territory in unincorporated Monroe County. Currently, all five Board members must reside within the city limits. The second change has the Utility Board elected by all voters from KEYS’ service territory. Currently, the Utility Board is elected only by residents of the city of Key West. KEYS will work with Rep. Holly Raschein to sponsor a bill in the Legislature to enact the changes. The move could set a precedent for other cities in Florida to follow. There have been bills filed, but not passed, in the state Legislature in recent years that would have required public utilities to allow representation from outside city limits when the utility’s service area extends beyond those limits.
DOE Initiative Aims to Cut Cost of Solar
The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy announced funding opportunities last week aimed at cutting the cost of solar-generated electricity by 50% between 2020 and 2030. This competitive solicitation process is part of the SunShot Initiative, which was launched in 2011 with the goal of making solar power cost competitive without subsidies by 2020. Included in the announcement was $65 million for three new funding opportunities that are intended to drive down the cost of solar energy and accelerate widespread deployment. The funding opportunities include: 1) up to $25 million to improve photovoltaic module and system design, 2) $30 million for projects that accelerate the commercialization of products to help drive down the cost of solar energy, and 3) $10 million for system integration programs for projects focused on improving solar irradiance and power forecasts used by utilities. Information about the applications is available on DOE’s website.
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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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