FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
Nov. 28, 2016
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LAST WEEK
Cane Island Power Park
Cane Island Unit 2 was taken offline Nov. 18 for a planned maintenance outage. The maintenance is scheduled to be complete by Dec. 23. Contact: David Schumann
Treasure Coast Energy Center
Treasure Coast Energy Center Unit 1 came back online Nov. 20 after completing a planned maintenance outage. Contact: David Schumann
Meeting with Legislators
Jacob Williams and lobbyist Bill Peebles met last Monday with Sen. Jack Latvala and Senator-elect Debbie Mayfield in Tallahassee. They discussed issues related to municipal electric utilities that could be the subject of bills in the next legislative session scheduled to begin March 7.
Solar PV Survey
The solar PV survey received final approval last week from the participating FMPA members, and each city supplied its customer data to GreatBlue Research. GreatBlue will pre-test the survey this week and is on track to begin official calls on Dec. 1. GreatBlue will notify each utility in advance when calls will begin to their customers. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
Solar Storage Research Alliance
FMPA sent a letter of commitment to Nhu Energy last week to participate in the Florida Alliance for Advancing Solar and Storage Technology Readiness (FAASSTeR). Nhu Energy received a $1.75 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for a three-year project that is designed to help Florida municipal electric utilities increase their solar energy use by more than 10% by 2024. The project will provide research, analysis and studies to help determine the value of solar PV systems, energy storage, demand response and other distributed resources that are integrated with the electric system. Several Florida municipal utilities have also agreed to participate. Contact: Michele Jackson
3 Phase Times
FMPA’s Power Resources Division published the October 2016 edition of 3 Phase Times. This monthly report provides information about the All-Requirements Project’s (ARP) system peak, hourly loads, resource fuel mix, natural gas usage, natural gas pricing and more performance information. The report shows that natural gas represented 83.7% of ARP’s total energy sources in October. ARP sold 51,619 MWh to the Florida Municipal Power Pool (FMPP) at an average price of $23.59 per MWh, which was higher than the estimated short-term forecast of 12,516 MWh. The FMPP Average Monthly Gas Dispatch Price in October was $3.14 per MMBtu, which is six cents lower than September’s average. For more information, download 3 Phase Times from the Portal. Contact: Frank Gaffney
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THIS WEEK
Excellence as a Supervisor II
The first module of Series II of FMPA’s Excellence as a Supervisor training is Tuesday and Wednesday at FMPA’s Orlando office. This training is designed for first-line supervisors, middle-level supervisors and prospective supervisors. Series II provides information on selection and development of employees, performance evaluations, employee motivation, leading change, as well as an overview of ensuring a harassment-free and respectful workplace. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
Purchasing Roundtable
FMPA’s Purchasing Roundtable meets Wednesday 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 and industry changes. 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. 27. Contact: Jim Arntz
Special Dates
Congratulations to Amy Deese, who celebrates eight years with FMPA on Thursday, Dec. 1.
Congratulations to Ray Platt, who celebrates 16 years with FMPA on Thursday, Dec. 1.
Congratulations to Joe McKinney, who celebrates 16 years with FMPA on Sunday, Dec. 4.
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COMING UP
ARP Telephonic Rate Workshop
The ARP Executive Committee meets Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. via conference call for the monthly All-Requirements Project Rate Workshop. Contact: Jim Arntz
December Meetings
The Audit and Risk Oversight Committee (AROC), Board of Directors and ARP Executive Committee will meet Dec. 15 at FMPA’s Orlando office. The AROC will meet at 8:30 a.m., followed by the Board of Directors at 9:30 a.m. and the Executive Committee at 10 a.m. Contact: Jacob Williams
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INDUSTRY NEWS
FPL Tells Regulators It Will Increase Its Rates Effective Jan. 1
Florida Power & Light (FPL) said it will increase its electric rates effective Jan. 1, whether or not state regulators approve a proposed rate-increase settlement at a meeting this Tuesday. According to a report in the Sun-Sentinel last week, FPL filed a notice with the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) saying that if the negotiated rate increase submitted in October is not approved on Nov. 29, then FPL will proceed anyway, as allowed by a provision in state law known as “file and suspend. If the settlement is not approved, the rate increase would be based on the utility’s original $1.3 billion request filed last March, not the scaled-back $811 million increase that the utility agreed to accept in a negotiated settlement with the Office of Public Counsel, the Florida Retail Federation, and the South Florida Hospital and Healthcare Association. FPL said it understands that it would have to refund any excess money collected from customers if the PSC later approves a lower rate. If the PSC approves the negotiated rate on Tuesday, a typical FPL residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month would pay $98.77, a $7 increase effective Jan. 1. Two more base-rate increases would follow to approximately $102.50 in January 2018 and $103.70 in June 2019. If the commission does not approve the negotiated rate, a typical FPL residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month would pay $101.18, a $10 increase effective the first day of 2017. Then, the PSC would have to schedule hearings to consider the original rate increase, and a decision likely would come in February.
Public Meeting Scheduled to Discuss Injection Well for FPL’s Okeechobee Plant
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting on Monday to discuss a proposal by Florida Power & Light to use an injection-well system for its planned power plant in Okeechobee County. The meeting will be held at 2 p.m. at the Indian River State College in Okeechobee.
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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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Tel 407 355-7767
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