FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
Jan. 28, 2019
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LAST WEEK
Asset Management Training
David Schumann and Tim Jackson travelled to Treasure Coast Energy Center last Wednesday and Trent Lewis travelled to Cane Island Power Park last Thursday to participate in training on an asset management system provided by GE. FMPA has a service agreement with GE to maintain generating units.
Treasure Coast Energy Center
Ian Beason and Carl Turner travelled to Treasure Coast Energy Center last Thursday to discuss backup generation at the power plant. They are exploring options to provide power to additional areas of the plant following a hurricane.
FCG Water Subcommittee
Trent Lewis began serving last week as chairman of the Florida Electric Power Coordinating Group (FCG) Water Subcommittee. FCG is a group of electric utilities from around the state that focus on regulations related to the electric generating industry.
3 Phase Times
FMPA’s Power Resources Division published the December 2018 edition of 3 Phase Times last Friday. 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 December was 5.5% higher than budget, and sales were 4% below forecast. Natural gas represented 68% of ARP’s total energy sources in December. FMPA sold 1.3% of its generation to the Florida Municipal Power Pool (FMPP), which helped offset ARP costs by 8 cents per MWh. The FMPP Average Monthly Gas Dispatch Price in December was $4.37 per MMBtu, or $1.40 above budget. The equivalent availability factor of FMPA’s base-load units for the fiscal year to date is 89%. For more information, download 3 Phase Times from the Portal. Contact: Joe McKinney
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THIS WEEK
Member City Visits
Susan Schumann visits Lake Worth and Homestead on Monday to discuss future solar projects. Mike McCleary travels to Tallahassee on Monday and visits Blountstown and Chattahoochee on Tuesday for member city visits.
Newberry AMI
Mike McCleary will attend the Newberry City Council meeting on Monday to make a presentation on the utility’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) efforts. FMPA is assisting Newberry in the planning and scope development phase of the project. If other members are interested in exploring AMI, this would be an opportune time to partner with Newberry. Contact: Mike McCleary or Cairo Vanegas
Pilot Project for Single-Phase Reclosers
Cairo Vanegas travels to Havana on Monday and Tallahassee on Tuesday to discuss the pilot project using single-phase reclosers to enhance distribution reliability. Both utilities will be participating in the project. FMPA will serve as the project manager and coordinate all phases of the project, including procurement, training and engineering.
Regional Crew Leader Roundtables
Foreman and crew leaders are encouraged to register now for the first of FMPA’s semi-annual Regional Crew Leader Roundtables for 2019, which will be in Quincy on Wednesday and Newberry on Thursday. The roundtables are great opportunities for transmission and distribution staff members to network with peers from neighboring utilities. Regional roundtables will follow in Homestead, New Smyrna Beach and Bushnell. Attendance is free, and lunch will be provided. Contact: Mike McCleary
Special Dates
Happy anniversary to Jim Arntz, who celebrates 12 years with FMPA on Tuesday, Jan. 29.
Happy anniversary to Jason Wolfe, who celebrates eight years with FMPA on Thursday, Jan. 31.
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COMING UP
Future of Power Webinar
Jacob Williams will present a webinar entitled “The Future of Power” on Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. hosted by the Florida City and County Management Association (FCCMA). Jacob will talk about emerging issues in the electric utility industry and what they mean for Florida’s cities and counties. The webinar is free for FCCMA members. Information on how to access the webinar is available on FCCMA’s website. Contact: Susan Schumann
Strategic Planning Session
FMPA’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee will hold a strategic planning session Feb. 13 at 9 a.m. at FMPA’s Orlando office. The session will identify the top strategic priorities for FMPA in the coming years. Contact: Jacob Williams
February Governing Board Meetings
FMPA’s governing boards will meet Feb. 14 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
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Deregulation Proposal Gathers Enough Support for Supreme Court Review
A group working to get an electric deregulation measure on the Florida 2020 ballot has secured enough signatures to have the proposal reviewed by the Florida Supreme Court. The proposed constitutional amendment would allow consumers to choose their electricity provider and limit the role of investor-owned utilities to construct, operate and repair transmission and distribution systems. Citizens for Energy Choices has collected the required 76,632 signatures to prompt a review by Attorney General Ashley Moody and the state’s highest court. Florida’s major business advocacy organizations, Associated Industries of Florida and the Florida Chamber of Commerce, both came out last Thursday in opposition to the ballot initiative. If the Supreme Court signs off on the ballot wording, Citizens for Energy Choices would need to ultimately submit 766,200 valid signatures to get the measure on the November 2020 ballot.
U.S. House Bill Would Overturn FCC Order Affecting Municipal Pole Attachments
A California congresswoman introduced legislation Jan. 14 that would overturn a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) order that attempts to regulate public power pole attachments despite a clear public power exemption. At issue is a report and order adopted Sept. 26 that may result in FCC pole attachment oversight and regulation of public power utilities, despite the explicit exemption for public power in Section 224 of the Communications Act. In issuing the order, the FCC said it was attempting to remove regulatory barriers to the deployment of 5G and other advanced wireless services. The House bill (H.R. 530) introduced by Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., would overturn FCC regulations related to broadband siting, including the FCC order that attempts to regulate public power pole attachments.
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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 Carolyn Dingley 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 Carolyn Dingley
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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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