FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
Oct. 1, 2018
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LAST WEEK
Organizational and Title Changes
Several organization and title changes in the Finance Department were announced last week. Steve Ruppel’s title will be Senior Financial Analyst reporting to Jason Wolfe, though Steve will continue to serve as Accounting Manager until that vacancy is filled. Jim Arntz’s title has been changed to Senior Accountant/Rates Analyst reporting to the Accounting Manager. Denise Fuentes’ title has been changed to Financial Analyst and will report to Jason Wolfe. Ellen Leatherman’s title has been changed to Accountant III. She will report to the Accounting Manager. Contact: Linda Howard
Course on Battery Energy Storage Systems Cancelled
The Battery Energy Storage Systems Course planned for Oct. 3-4 has been cancelled. FMPA may offer this course at a later date. Contact: Sharon Samuels
Frank Gaffney Semi-Retires
Chief Operating Officer Frank Gaffney’s final day in the office was last Friday. He has agreed to remain available until Oct. 30 and attend the October governing board meetings to aid in the transition process. During the transition, Carol Chinn and David Schumann will share Frank’s responsibilities.
United Way’s Day of Caring
Seventeen FMPA employees participated last Friday in United Way’s Day of Caring, Central Florida’s largest volunteer event. This year’s project involved providing a new look to The Grove Counseling Center, a residential substance abuse and treatment program for adolescents. Volunteers also donated new decorations for the office space, created a birthday box filled with handwritten notes and cleaned an outside area. Contact: Sharon Adams
Cane Island Power Park
Cane Island Unit 3 was taken offline last Saturday for a planned maintenance outage. Contact: David Schumann
All-Requirements Project August Load Statistics
The All-Requirements Project’s non-Contract Rate of Delivery peak for September was 1,214 MW, which occurred Sept. 18 between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. The project’s load factor for September was 68%. 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 109% of the budgeted peak, and energy was 113% of the budget. A graph showing the All-Requirements Project hourly load for September is available on the Portal. Contact: Jim Arntz
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THIS WEEK
Meal Per Diem Calculator
FMPA’s Meal Per Diem Calculator updated for fiscal 2019 is available on the Portal. Meal rates for Florida have increased from fiscal 2018. The base meal rate went up $4. The calculator is used by Executive Committee members whose travel to FMPA meetings qualifies for meal reimbursement. Contact: Mark McCain
APPA Fall Institute and Public Power Leadership Workshop
Several FMPA staff members will attend the American Public Power Association’s (APPA) Fall Institute and Public Power Leadership Workshop starting Monday in Orlando. The institute features 13 training courses on various topics, such as accounting, cost of service rate design, key accounts management, overhead distribution system design and more.
Member City Visits
Jacob Williams travels to Ocala and Havana on Wednesday for member city visits. He also travels to Tallahassee on Thursday to meet with the city’s electric director Rob McGarrah.
Stock Island Upgrades
Carter Manucy travels to Stock Island on Monday through Friday to preform upgrades that will allow data to be stored and pulled from the generating units to the Orlando office for analysis.
PVC Conduit and Fittings RFP
FMPA is preparing to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for PVC conduit and fittings. This RFP will replace an expiring contract, and the procurement process will meet requirements of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FMPA members interested in participating in this RFP are asked to contact Sharon Samuels by Oct. 12.
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. 30. Contact: Jim Arntz
Special Dates
Congratulations to Matthew Nichols, who celebrates four years with FMPA on Monday, Oct. 1.
Congratulations to Tim Jackson, who celebrates 11 years with FMPA on Monday, Oct. 1.
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COMING UP
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 Reinhardt to have your utility’s celebration featured in FMPA Weekly. FMPA also has staff available to participate in members’ Public Power Week events. Contact: Mark McCain
Lineman’s Roundtable
Thursday is the deadline to register 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
Plant Vogtle Moves Ahead Despite JEA Objections
Owners of the Plant Vogtle nuclear project in Georgia voted last week to continue with an expansion of the project despite pressure from JEA to abandon it. JEA holds a power purchase agreement with one of the owners, the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (MEAG), obligating Jacksonville customers to pay a portion of construction costs and eventually purchase power from Plant Vogtle. JEA is expected to incur additional costs of more than $2.5 billion due to the agreement. The $27 billion Vogtle project is behind schedule and over budget. JEA and MEAG have also sued each other over the power purchase agreement.
Judge Rejects FPL’s Argument in Nuclear Membership Case
A federal judge rejected arguments last week from NextEra Energy Inc., the parent company of Florida Power & Light (FPL), saying the utility should be able to access a database created by an industry group, despite leaving the group. Earlier this year, NextEra dropped its membership in the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), which maintains a database that allows utilities to screen workers at nuclear power plants. NextEra argued that its agreement with NEI allowed the utility to continue to access the database, despite no longer being a member. The judge ruled that access to the database could be restricted to NEI members.
Florida Supreme Court Sets Date for FPL Plume Hearing
The Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments Feb. 6 in a dispute about whether to uphold a decision by the Florida Public Service commission allowing Florida Power & Light (FPL) to recover money from customers for cleaning up a saltwater plume from FPL’s Turkey Point complex into nearby groundwater. In December 2017, the Florida Public Service Commission approved FPL’s request to collect a least $176.4 million from customers for the cleanup. A challenge was filed by the Office of Public Counsel, which represents consumers in utility issues.
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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
Community Power. Statewide Strength. ®
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