FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
Dec. 5, 2016
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LAST WEEK
New Board Member
Jacob Williams met last Thursday with Vero Beach Mayor Laura Moss. The Vero Beach City Council has appointed Mayor Moss to serve as the city’s representative on FMPA’s Board of Directors. She replaces City Manager Jim O’Connor.
All-Requirements Project Load
The All-Requirements Project’s non-Contract Rate of Delivery peak for the month of November was 837 MW, which occurred Nov. 2 between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. The project’s load factor for November was 66%. 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 110% of the budgeted peak, and energy was 99% of the budget. Contact: Jim Arntz
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THIS WEEK
ARP Telephonic Workshop
The ARP Executive Committee meets Thursday at 2 p.m. via conference call for the monthly All-Requirements Project Rate Workshop. The agenda includes: 1) natural gas markets update, 2) liquidity update, 3) an overview of November operations, loads, costs and rate calculations, and 4) estimated rate ranges for December and January. Contact: Jim Arntz
Stock Island
Frank Gaffney and David Schumann travel to the Stock Island Generating Facility in Key West on Tuesday to attend an Operating Committee meeting and participate in the quarterly plant inspection.
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 Dec. 4. Contact: Jim Arntz
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COMING UP
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
Substation Training
FMPA will host session two of the Substation Training series at Orlando Utilities Commission’s Engineering Building beginning Jan. 17. The two-day session will focus on substation inspections, electrical equipment testing, battery and breaker testing and maintenance, SF6 gas testing and mobile substations. The cost is $900 per person for the two-day session. Lunch will be provided. FMPA will send an invoice to participating utilities following the course. The deadline to register is Dec. 22. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
Distribution Services and Lineworker Staffing Roundtable
Registration is open for a roundtable meeting on distribution services and lineworker staffing hosted by FMPA and the Florida Municipal Electric Association. The roundtable will be held Jan. 25 at 10 a.m. in FMPA’s Orlando office. Utilities dealing with operating and staffing issues—and utilities that have dealt with these issues—are encouraged to attend the roundtable to share ideas and explore ways municipal utilities might work together to address these important challenges that impact a vital part of operating an electric system. Attendance is free and lunch will be provided. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
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INDUSTRY NEWS
2016 Hurricane Season
The 2016 Atlantic Hurricane season ended last Wednesday, and this year for the first time in more than a decade, the Sunshine State was hit by a hurricane. This year’s season produced 15 named storms, seven of which became hurricanes and three of which were classified as major storms. The number of named storms was above the average of 12. Florida had not been directly hit by a hurricane since 2005, but that streak ended in early September when Hurricane Hermine struck the Panhandle. Hurricane Matthew came within 50 miles of Florida’s East Coast in early October, and it inflicted property damage and power outages.
PSC Approves FPL Rate Increases over Three Years
The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) unanimously approved base-rate increases last Tuesday that will raise electricity costs for customers of Florida Power & Light (FPL) by $811 million over three years. The first rate increase of $400 million takes effect Jan. 1, followed by an additional $211 million in January 2018 and another $200 million in mid-2019. FPL had originally proposed a $1.3 billion increase but negotiated a 38% reduction with entities representing consumers and two business groups. The rate case settlement also addresses other issues, including potential solar-energy projects, a halt to FPL’s natural gas hedging program, and a target retu on equity of 10.55%. The PSC approved the settlement agreement despite objections from AARP and the Sierra Club. FPL residential customers who use 1,000 kWh per month will see bills increase 8% from $91.56 to $99.02 in January, according to FPL. Those bills are estimated to rise to $102.50 in January 2018 and $103.70 when the Okeechobee County power plant begins commercial operation, projected in June 2019.
Gulf Power Seeks to Block Intervener in Rate Case
Gulf Power asked the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) last week to deny a request by the Southe Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) to intervene in the utility’s pending rate case. The investor-owned utility is seeking a base-rate increase of $106.8 million effective July 1. SACE filed a petition Nov. 16 seeking to intervene stating the proposed rate restructuring could discourage energy efficiency and the use of rooftop solar equipment. Gulf power countered in its recent filing that SACE had not shown that its interests or the interests of its members will be adversely affected by the rate case. If the rate increase is approved, the monthly electric bill of Gulf’s residential customers using 1,000 kWh per month would increase 7% from $148.64 to $158.86.
PSC to Discuss Storm Hardening
The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) meets this Tuesday to take up issues including storm-hardening plans for Duke Energy Florida, Tampa Electric, Gulf Power and Florida Public 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>www.fmpa.com<br />
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