FMPA Weekly | Dec. 26, 2018 | Member Edition

FMPA Weekly

 

A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members

 

Dec. 26, 2018

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LAST WEEK

 

Vero Beach Transaction

FMPA received wire transfers last Monday completing Vero Beach’s withdrawal from FMPA’s power supply projects. FMPA’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee previously approved reassignment of Vero Beach’s power entitlements to the All-Requirements Project. Also on Monday, Florida Power & Light (FPL) completed the purchase of Vero Beach’s electric utility. Vero Beach residents began receiving power from Florida Power & Light on Dec. 17 at one second past midnight. Contact: Jacob Williams

 

Member City Visit

Susan Schumann and Chris Gowder visited the city of Tallahassee last Wednesday to meet with David Byrne, Assistant General Manager of Electric Utility, and Ben Cowart, Alternative Energy Manager, to discuss a potential solar project.

 

Tallahassee Meetings

While in Tallahassee last week, Susan Schumann and Chris Gowder met with representatives from the Florida Chamber of Commerce, which FMPA has joined, to discuss services offered by the Chamber that could be useful for the Agency and its members. On Thursday, Susan attended an FCG Environmental Committee meeting in Tallahassee.

 

FBI Cybersecurity

Luis Cruz travelled to Tampa last Wednesday for a meeting with FBI Director Christopher Wray. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss cybersecurity and other electronic national security matters. Luis is a board member of InfraGard, an organization established by the FBI to collaborate on intelligence between business and the bureau to help prosecute attackers.

 

3 Phase Times

FMPA’s Power Resources Division published the November 2018 edition of 3 Phase Times last Thursday. This monthly operating report provides information about the All-Requirements Project’s (ARP) system peak, hourly loads, resource fuel mix, natural gas usage, natural gas pricing and more performance information. The report shows that peak demand in November was 21% higher than budget, and sales were 3.6% above forecast. Natural gas represented 67% of ARP’s total energy sources in November. FMPA sold 5% of its generation to the Florida Municipal Power Pool (FMPP), which helped offset ARP costs by 18 cents per MWh. The FMPP Average Monthly Gas Dispatch Price in November was $3.84 per MMBtu, or 98 cents above budget. The equivalent availability factor of FMPA’s base-load units in November was 82%. For more information, download 3 Phase Times from the Portal. Contact: Joe McKinney

 

Hotels Near FMPA

A listing of hotel options near FMPA’s Orlando office was updated last week and posted to the General Information section on the Portal. Many of the hotels listed offer a discounted rate for FMPA and its members. Contact: Sharon Adams

 

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THIS WEEK

 

Wood Poles Bid

FMPA is planning to issue an Invitation to Bid for wood poles in early January. There is still time for interested members to participate. Those interested are invited to email Sharon Samuels. The bid 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.

 

IRS Mileage Rate

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) increased the standard mileage rate used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business travel effective Jan. 1, 2019. The rate increased from 54.5 cents to 58 cents per mile. The change will be updated on FMPA’s Travel Expense Report Form on the Portal. Members should use the updated IRS rate for travel after Jan. 1.

 

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. 25. Contact: Jim Arntz

 

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COMING UP

 

Holiday Office Closure

FMPA’s offices will be closed Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 in observance of the New Year’s holiday. Best wishes to all for a safe and happy holiday.

 

Regional Crew Leader Roundtables

Registration is open for FMPA’s semi-annual Regional Crew Leader Roundtables. The regional roundtables are designed to provide an opportunity for foremen or crew leaders to meet with their counterparts from neighboring utilities. The first roundtable will be in Quincy on Jan. 30. It will be followed by roundtables in Newberry, Homestead, New Smyrna Beach and Bushnell. Attendance is free, and lunch will be provided. Contact: Mike McCleary

 

Policy Makers Liaisons Committee

FMPA’s Policy Makers Liaisons Committee meets Jan. 16 at 1 p.m. in FMPA’s Orlando office. The committee helps facilitate communications between FMPA and elected or appointed officials. Lunch will be served at noon. Contact: Mark McCain

 

FMPA Governing Board Meetings

FMPA’s governing boards meet Jan. 17 in Orlando beginning with the Audit and Risk Oversight Committee at 8:30 a.m., Board of Directors at 9 a.m. and Executive Committee at 9:30 a.m. Contact: Jacob Williams

 

Substation Awareness Basics

FMPA will hold the next session of the Substation Training Series: Substation Awareness Basics on Feb. 5-6 at Orlando Utilities Commission’s Engineering Building in Orlando. 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. Registration is open for the two-day training, which costs $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

 

Class-Action Lawsuit Filed Related to Stanton Coal-Fired Plant

Attorneys representing a group of residents near the Stanton Energy Center in Orlando filed a class-action lawsuit last week claiming the plant’s two coal units are to blame for contaminating properties in the area and higher cancer levels. The suit filed in Orange County circuit court brings action against Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) and the neighborhoods’ developers saying they should have warned residents of health risks associated with the plant and done more to address any pollution. OUC spokesman Tim Trudell said in a statement, “The Stanton Energy Center’s operations are highly regulated by both the state and federal governments. OUC meets or exceeds all permitting requirements as environmental stewardship is one of the key principles of our organization. Due to the pending litigation, we cannot get into any additional detail at this time.” FMPA is a minority owner in both coal units at Stanton.

 

FPL Intends to End Franchise Agreement with Miami-Dade

Florida Power & Light (FPL) does not intend to renew its franchise agreement with Miami-Dade County when it expires in 2020, according to a letter sent last Wednesday to county officials. FPL said it does not need the agreement to operate in unincorporated areas of the Miami-Dade because state law allows the utility to use government-owned land for infrastructure. FPL currently collects 3-4% of customer bills in franchise fees and turns that money over to the county. Those fees generated $27 million in 2018. Miami-Dade’s charter has a provision that says franchise agreements must be approved by voters in a referendum. Voters last approved the current agreement in 1990.

 

Corporations Bought Record Amounts of Renewable Generation in 2018

U.S. corporations bought 6.43 GW of wind and solar capacity in 2018, an all-time high, according to a report released last week by the Rocky Mountain Institute. The institute tracks contracted capacity from power purchase agreements, green power purchases and project ownership on a yearly basis. Facebook, AT&T, Walmart, ExxonMobil and Microsoft were the top five purchasers in 2018, according to the report. Facebook purchased more than 1,800 MW of capacity.

 

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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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