FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
Dec. 10, 2018
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LAST WEEK
Chief Operating Officer Search
FMPA began recruiting for a Chief Operating Officer last Monday with search firm Mycoff, Fry & Prouse LLC assisting in the process. The listing is posted on FMPA.com. The position has been vacant since the retirement of Frank Gaffney. Contact: Sharon Adams
Pilot Project for Single-Phase Reclosers
FMPA held an informational conference call last Friday for members interested in participating in a pilot project using single-phase reclosers to test reliability enhancements for municipal utilities. Three members will be selected to participate. The project will be funded in part by a $64,400 grant from the American Public Power Association’s Demonstration of Energy and Efficiency Development program. FMPA members interested in being considered for participation should send an email to Cairo Vanegas confirming interest by Wednesday, Dec. 12.
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THIS WEEK
Joint Solar Committee Meeting
The Florida Municipal Solar Project Committee and the APR Solar Project Advisory Committee hold a joint telephonic meeting Monday at 9:30 a.m. The committees will discuss potential alternative site arrangements for the Poinsett Solar Facility. The agenda is posted to the Portal. Contact: Susan Schumann
Solar Project Meeting
Jacob Williams, Chris Gowder and Susan Schumann travel to Lakeland on Monday to discuss future solar project opportunities.
Florida Growth and Infrastructure Summit
Susan Schumann travels to Babcock Ranch, Florida, on Tuesday to attend the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s Florida Growth and Infrastructure Summit. The summit will cover topics including autonomous vehicles in Florida and the state’s current and future infrastructure needs.
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 November loads, 3) resource update for November, and 4) review of November ARP rate calculation. Contact: Jason Wolfe
FMEA Board Meeting
The Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) will hold a Board meeting at FMPA’s Orlando office Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.
Board of Directors
FMPA’s Board of Directors meets Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Board room. The Board will consider its meeting schedule for calendar year 2019 and hear three information items: 1) preliminary fiscal 2018 financial results, 2) Florida Municipal Solar Project update, and 3) St. Lucie debt reduction plan. 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: 1) its meeting schedule for calendar year 2019, 2) gas prepay directive with Florida Gas Utility, and 3) NextEra guarantees for Stanton Unit A and Plant Oleander ownership and power purchase agreements interests. The full agenda package is available on the Portal. Contact: Jacob Williams
Wood Poles and Overhead Transformers Bids
FMPA is developing Invitations to Bid (ITB) for wood poles and overhead transformers. The bids will include FEMA-required language and a price-fluctuation mechanism allowing participants to take advantage of market-price reductions during the life of the agreements. Members are invited to email Sharon Samuels indicating their interest in participating. For the overhead transformers bid, please respond by Friday, Dec. 14. For the wood poles bid, respond by Dec. 19.
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. 9. Contact: Jim Arntz
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COMING UP
Advanced Lineworker Program
The first module of the Advanced Lineworker Program will be Jan. 23-24, 2019, in Kissimmee. The program is offered through the FMPA-EGC Alliance. The program lasts one year and will include four, two-day modules. It is designed for Lead or Journeyman linemen with a minimum of four years of experience. The cost for the year is $1,500. Registration is available by emailing ECG. Contact: Sharon Samuels
Substation Awareness Basics
Registration is now open for the next session in FMPA’s Substation Training Series: Substation Awareness Basics. The two-day session will provide participants with in-depth instruction on substation-related topics and will be tailored to the specific equipment of the attendees’ utilities, where possible. The session will be Feb. 5-6, 2019, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day at Orlando Utilities Commission’s Engineering Building in Orlando. The cost for the two-day training is $900 and will be invoiced to each participant’s utility following the course. Lunches will be provided. Contact: Sharon Samuels
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INDUSTRY NEWS
NextEra Completes Purchase of Oleander, Portion of Stanton A
NextEra completed the purchase last week of Plant Oleander in Cocoa and a 65% interest in Stanton Unit A in Orlando from Southern Company. The parent company of Florida Power & Light announced last May its intention to acquire Gulf Power, a subsidiary of Southern, and Southern’s two generating units in Central Florida. Plant Oleander is a 791 MW simple-cycle combustion turbine plant with five units. Both FMPA and Seminole Electric Cooperative have power purchase agreements for Oleander’s output. Stanton A is a 660 MW combined-cycle unit in which FMPA, Kissimmee Utility Authority and Orlando Utilities Commission are minority owners. NextEra says it expects to complete the acquisition of Gulf Power in the first quarter of 2019.
NRC Takes Up Turkey Point Extension
Three judges from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) heard arguments last Tuesday in connection with Florida Power & Light’s (FPL) request to extend the life of its two nuclear reactors at Turkey Point until the early 2050s. FPL is the first utility in the country to apply for a second 20-year extension of an operating license for a nuclear power plant. The reactors at Turkey Point came online in 1972 and 1973 with 40-year licenses and were granted 20-year extensions in 2002. Several groups, including the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Miami Waterkeeper and Friends of the Earth oppose the extension on environmental grounds. Opponents say they want the NRC to require FPL to replace the cooling canals at the plant with cooling towers as a condition of an extension. The NRC has not given a timetable for a decision.
Groups Petition for FPL Refund
Three groups filed a petition with the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) last Wednesday asking the commission to require Florida Power & Light (FPL) to refund $736 million to customers. In the petition, the Office of Public Counsel, the Florida Retail Federation and the Florida Industrial Power Users Group state that FPL improperly used savings from last year’s federal tax overhaul and exceeded its maximum return on equity. The petition says FPL used reserves to pay for $1.3 billion in restoration costs following Hurricane Irma and then used the tax savings to replenish its reserves. It says the 2016 rate settlement allowed FPL to use the tax savings to pay for hurricane recovery costs but not replenish reserves. The groups say any savings not used to pay for hurricane costs should have been passed on to customers. In a statement, FPL said if the petition is successful, the utility would be forced to increase rates. The PSC has yet to respond to the petition.
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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 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
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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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