FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
Oct. 8, 2018
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LAST WEEK
Fiscal 2018 Generation Goals
Preliminary numbers indicate that FMPA met all fiscal 2018 goals for its generating fleet related to costs, availability, safety and environmental compliance. Writing last week to congratulate FMPA’s generation team, Jacob Williams wrote, “These results are all a summary of hard work and great planning by the entire FMPA generation team. We salute the teams at Cane Island, Treasure Coast and Stock Island as well as the generation support team in Orlando. Well done and looking forward to celebrating the great success with the team members at each location over the coming months.”
KUA’s Jim Welsh Announces Retirement
Jim Welsh, President and General Manager of Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA), announced last Tuesday his plan to retire effective March 31, 2019. Jim served on FMPA’s Board of Directors from 1982 to 2014, including three years as Chairman and several years in other officer positions. He was president of the Florida Municipal Electric Association in 1995-1996. Jim will continue as CEO while KUA’s Board of Directors conducts a search for his successor.
TripSaver Demonstration Project
FMPA was notified last week that it received a grant to help fund a TripSaver reliability improvement demonstration project. Funding will come from the American Public Power Association’s (APPA) Demonstration of Energy and Efficiency Development program (DEED). The project budget is $132,000 with 49% of funding coming from DEED. APPA expects to send FMPA the standard contract later this month to kick off the process. Cairo Vanegas will contact FMPA members that expressed interest in participating.
Member City Visits
Jacob Williams traveled to Bushnell last Thursday for a member city visit. Mike McCleary participated last Friday evening in Ocala’s customer appreciation event in connection with Public Power Week.
Social Media and Text Message Archiving Survey
Florida’s municipal electric utilities are encouraged to participate in a survey about social media and text message archiving. An email with a link to the online survey was sent last Thursday by Jeff Grainger to communicators at municipal utilities. The questionnaire should take less than five minutes to complete. Results will be shared during a discussion of this topic at the next Public Power Communicator’s Roundtable, which will be held Oct. 23 in Kissimmee. Reponses are requested by Friday. Contact: Mark McCain
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THIS WEEK
Public Power Week
Municipal electric utilities across the nation celebrate Public Power Week this week. 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 and on FMPA’s social media channels.
Member City Visits
Jacob Williams travels to Newberry on Monday to give a presentation to the City Commission on FMPA and the value of the city’s municipal electric utility. Mike McCleary travels to Chattahoochee, Havana and Quincy on Thursday, as well as Blountstown on Friday.
ARP Rate Workshop
The ARP Executive Committee meets Tuesday at 2 p.m. via conference call for the monthly All-Requirements Project Rate Workshop. The agenda includes: 1) natural gas markets update, 2) overview of September loads, 3) resource update for September, and 4) review of September ARP rate calculation. Contact: Jason Wolfe
APPA Legal and Regulatory Conference
Jody Finklea and Dan O’Hagan attend the American Public Power Association’s (APPA) Legal and Regulatory Conference through Wednesday in Charleston, South Carolina. The conference focuses on legal and regulatory compliance issues facing public power utilities.
Stock Island Operator Training
David Schumann and Tim Jackson travel to Stock Island Generating Facility in Key West on Tuesday through Thursday to review gas turbine systems and controls and provide operator training.
Farewell, Michelle
Michelle Pisarri’s last day as Executive Assistant to the Chief Operating Officer and Assistant Secretary to the Executive Committee is Wednesday. We thank her for more than 13 years of service and wish her all the best.
SERC Fall Compliance Seminar
Carol Chinn travels to Charleston, South Carolina, on Wednesday to attend the Southeastern Electric Reliability Corporation’s (SERC) Fall Compliance Seminar. The seminar covers compliance with North American Electric Reliability Corporation reliability standards and bulk power system reliability.
Lineman Roundtable
Cairo Vanegas and Sharon Samuels attend FMPA’s Lineman Roundtable on Thursday in Kissimmee. The roundtable provides a forum for crews to exchange ideas on operating practices, safety, training, tools, equipment and other common issues. Contact: Sharon Samuels
PVC Conduit and Fittings ITB
FMPA is preparing an invitation to bid (ITB) for PVC conduit and fittings. This ITB 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 ITB are asked to contact Sharon Samuels by Friday.
Single-Phase Pad-Mount Transformers RFP
FMPA is issuing a request for proposals (RFP) for single-phase pad-mount transformers. The bid includes a pricing fluctuation mechanism to allow users to take advantage of the market’s price reductions throughout the life of the agreement. The term will be for five years with one-year extensions. The procurement process will meet requirements of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Members are invited to participate by contacting 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 Oct. 7. Contact: Jim Arntz
Special Dates
Congratulations to Jaye Godin, who celebrates six years with FMPA on Monday, Oct. 8.
Congratulations to Jody Finklea, who celebrates 17 years with FMPA on Monday, Oct. 8.
Congratulations to Isabel Montoya, who celebrates one year with FMPA on Wednesday, Oct. 10.
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COMING UP
Policy Makers Liaisons Committee
FMPA’s Policy Makers Liaisons Committee meets Oct. 17 at 1 p.m. in FMPA’s Orlando office. The committee provides opportunities to facilitate education and increase communication with elected or appointed board members. Lunch will be served at noon. Contact: Mark McCain
Power Communicators Roundtable
The Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) will hold a Power Communicators Roundtable on Oct. 23 in Kissimmee. The session is scheduled to coincide with the 2018 FMEA Energy Connections Conference. The roundtable will provide opportunities for communicators to discuss common issues. The roundtable is open to communications and marketing staff, utility spokespersons and municipal staff from Florida public power utilities. Registration is free, and lunch will be provided.
GE Plant Tour
FMPA is coordinating a tour of a new General Electric (GE) manufacturing plant in Clearwater. The tour is scheduled for Nov. 1. GE’s plant manufactures capacitors for distribution and substation applications as well as instrument transformers for metering applications up to 69 kV. The tour is free, and lunch will be provided. Space is limited to 20 participants. Contact Cairo Vanegas to reserve a spot.
FAASSTeR Project Workshop and Stakeholder Seminar
The Florida Alliance for Accelerating Solar and Storage Technology Readiness (FAASSTeR) initiative meets Nov. 27-28 at Orlando Airport Marriott Lakeside for a project team meeting and workshop. There will also be a stakeholder seminar Nov. 29-30 in Orlando. The workshop will provide opportunities to share results, gather input, have team discussions and plan future activities. The stakeholder seminar will include an update on activities and results associated with the FAASSTeR initiative, updates from Florida utilities on projects related to solar and energy storage, and opportunities for discussion. There is no cost to register for FAASSTeR project team members or FMEA municipal members.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Trump Signs FAA Funding Bill with Three-Year Limit on FEMA De-obligation
President Donald Trump signed into law last Friday a five-year funding bill for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that includes provisions championed by Florida Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio related to disaster recovery and reform. The bill (H.R. 302) includes a section that establishes a three-year statute of limitations on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) ability to claw-back funds from grant recipients. In the past, FEMA has sought to de-obligate funds several years, and sometimes decades, after communities used the funds to recover from natural disasters. Florida’s municipal electric utilities were champions of the limited claw-back period, working closely with the American Public Power Association.
PSC to Hold Hearing on FPL’s Proposed Purchase of Vero Beach Electric
The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) will hold public evidentiary hearings this Tuesday and Wednesday on Florida Power & Light’s proposed accounting treatment for the purchase of Vero Beach’s electric utility.
TECO Proposal Aims to Protect Employees
Tampa Electric Co. (TECO) filed a proposal last week with the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) that, if approved, would allow the utility to disconnect or refuse service to customers who threaten the utility’s workers. TECO says the proposal is a response to the increased threats, assaults and harassment experienced by field employees. The PSC approved a similar proposal for Florida Power & Light in 1996. If the proposal is approved, it would become part of a list of circumstances under which a utility can shut off service, such as refusing to pay bills and tampering with meters.
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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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