FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
Sept. 17, 2018
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LAST WEEK
Gaffney to Semi-Retire
Chief Operating Officer Frank Gaffney announced last Wednesday that he will semi-retire at the end of September after 10 years. Frank’s last day at FMPA will be Sept. 28, but he has agreed to be available until Oct. 31 to aid in the transition process. He plans to continue working part-time as a consultant in the industry. During the transition, Carol Chinn and David Schumann will share Frank’s responsibilities. Contact: Jacob Williams
Florida 500
Florida Trend magazine released last Wednesday its inaugural list of the 500 most influential business leaders in Florida, and FMPA’s Jacob Williams was included among a select group for the energy industry. The profile of Jacob included information about the large-scale solar project that FMPA announced earlier this year. The editor of Florida Trend said the 500 executives were selected based on extensive contacts in regional business circles, hundreds of interviews and months of research.
Concrete Poles RFP
The bid for the purchase and delivery of concrete poles was awarded last week to Anixter and USI. The procurement process meets requirements of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Contact: Sharon Samuels
Audit and Risk Oversight Committee
The Audit and Risk Oversight Committee held a special called meeting via teleconference last Friday for an entrance conference with the external auditors, Purvis, Gray and Company. This meeting kicked off the annual financial audit for the fiscal year. Contact: Liyuan Woerner
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THIS WEEK
Member City Visit
Jacob Williams and Mark McCain travel to Fort Pierce on Monday where Jacob will give a presentation to the City Commission.
Electric Vehicles Planning Session
Cairo Vanegas attends the Florida Municipal Electric Association’s Electric Vehicles Planning Session for Electric Utilities on Monday. The session will provide opportunities for electric engineers, policymakers, utility managers and others to discuss how to prepare for an increase in electric vehicles.
FMPA Summer Compliance Workshop
FMPA’s Regulatory Compliance Department hosts a Compliance Workshop on Tuesday at FMPA’s Orlando office. The morning session will focus on operations and planning, and the afternoon session will focus on critical infrastructure protection. Contact: Brandon McCormick
Board of Directors
FMPA’s Board of Directors meets Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Board room. The Board will consider three action items: 1) Resolution 2018-B12 – Tri-City Project budget amendment, 2) Resolution 2018-B13 – St. Lucie Project budget amendment, and 3) Board officers recommendation on evaluations of the General Counsel and CLO and General Manager and CEO. The full agenda package is available on the Portal. Contact: Jacob Williams
Executive Committee
The ARP Executive Committee meets Thursday in the Board room at 9:30 a.m., or immediately following the Board of Directors. The committee will consider one action item: the ARP Solar Participants Advisory Committee charter. They will also hear five information items: 1) ARP contract section 29 withdrawal payment estimates, 2) a pool expansion update, 3) gas prepay option, 4) discussion of the pooled loan program, and 5) quarterly regulatory compliance update. The full agenda package is available on the Portal. Contact: Jacob Williams
Single-Phase Pad-Mount Transformers RFP
FMPA is preparing to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for Single-Phase Pad-Mount Transformers. The procurement process will meet requirements of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Members are invited to participate by contacting Sharon Samuels.
Splice Testing Tool
FMPA has acquired a splice testing tool that is available for loan to interested members. Members are encouraged to contact Mike McCleary if they would like to use the tool.
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. 16. Contact: Jim Arntz
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COMING UP
APPA Fall Institute and Public Power Leadership Workshop
The American Public Power Association’s (APPA) Fall Institute and Public Power Leadership Workshop will be held Oct. 1-5 at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando. The institute will feature 13 training courses on various topics, such as accounting, cost of service rate design, key accounts management, overhead distribution system design and more. Information and registration is available on APPA’s website.
Battery Energy Storage Systems
FMPA will hold a Battery Energy Storage Systems course Oct. 3-4 at the Orlando office. The course is designed for electrical engineers who wish to learn about the value proposition for storage systems on electric grids. The course also covers siting storage, determining the appropriate size, understanding the system benefits and economic value. Registration is $900, and lunch will be provided. FMPA will send an invoice to participants’ utilities following the course. Contact: Sharon Samuels
Public Power Week
Municipal electric utilities across the nation will celebrate Public Power Week on Oct. 7-13. This annual event is a great time for local utilities to reach out to citizens in their communities to communicate the unique benefits of public power. FMPA would like to highlight your events. Send your Public Power Week stories to Jeff Grainger or Lisa Rienhardt to have your utility’s celebration featured in FMPA Weekly. FMPA also has staff available to participate in members’ Public Power Week events. Contact Mike McCleary or Cairo Vanegas to coordinate FMPA participation.
Lineman’s Roundtable
Registration is open for the next FMPA Lineman’s Roundtable scheduled for Oct. 11 in Kissimmee. The roundtable provides an informal forum for crews to exchange ideas on operating practices, safety, training, tools, equipment and other common issues. Registration is free, and lunch will be provided. Contact: Sharon Samuels
Florida Women in Energy Leadership Forum
The annual Florida Women in Energy Leadership Forum will be held Nov. 7-8 in Destin, Florida. Jacob Williams will participate on a panel discussing “Innovation, Technology, and a Better Future.” The forum costs $475 to attend, and registration is available online.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Florida Public Power Sends Mutual Aid to North and South Carolina
More than 200 electric lineworkers and equipment from 18 Florida public power utilities travelled north last week to assist in restoring power to those affected by Hurricane Florence. Some mutual aid crews were put in place before the storm hit and others staged in north Florida to see where assistance would be needed. Investor-owned utilities also sent aid to the Carolinas. As of Monday morning, more than 500,000 customers in North and South Carolina were without electricity.
JEA and City of Jacksonville File Complaint on Plant Vogtle Agreement
JEA and the City of Jacksonville filed a complaint last Tuesday in Florida state court for a declaratory judgment on a power purchase agreement with the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (MEAG Power) associated with the expansion project at Plant Vogtle, a nuclear power generating facility in Georgia. The complaint seeks to clarify the validity of the purchase power agreement, which was never approved by the Jacksonville City Council. JEA and the City of Jacksonville believe the agreement violates the Constitution of the State of Florida and should be declared “ultra vires,” which means void and unenforceable. The complaint was filed in the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida on Sept. 11, the same day that MEAG Power filed a breach of contract lawsuit against JEA in the Federal Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
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FMPA Weekly is published by FMPA for employees and governing boards of FMPA member utilities. Questions or comments about this newsletter may be directed to Jeff Grainger or Lisa Rienhardt 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 learn more.
Have a question, comment or story idea for the newsletter? FMPA welcomes your feedback at any time. Contact: Jeff Grainger or Lisa Rienhardt
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Florida Municipal Power Agency
8553 Commodity Circle
Orlando, FL 32819-9002
Tel 407 355-7767
Fax 407 355-5794
www.fmpa.com
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