FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
Sept. 30, 2019
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LAST WEEK
Relay Setting Upgrades
Cane Island Unit 4 was cycled offline last weekend to upgrade relay setting. Treasure Coast successfully cycled for relay setting upgrades earlier this month. Contact: Carl Turner
Bond Counsel RFP
Responses to FMPA’s request for proposal (RFP) for bond counsel were due last Tuesday. Seven responses were received and are being evaluated. Contact: Linda Howard
3 Phase Times
FMPA’s Power Resources Division published the August 2019 edition of 3 Phase Times last Wednesday. 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. ARP delivered Net Energy for Load was 618 GWhs, which was very close to the forecast. Natural gas-fired generation produced 3% more output than budgeted due to off-system and pool sales. ARP sold 6% of its generation to the Florida Municipal Power Pool, compared to the budget forecast of 5%. The equivalent availability factor of FMPA’s base-load units for the fiscal year to date is 94.8%. The full report is available on the Portal. Contact: Chris Gowder
Year-End Inventory at Cane Island
The FMPA team conducted a year-end inventory count at Cane Island last Tuesday in record time. The inventory took only seven hours to complete and included 6,234 items with a value of $43,725,642. Only eight variances were identified that had a total value of $96.44. FMPA’s Audit Department verified the variance with staff from Cane Island and identified minimal errors in the counts. The quick process was made possible by the teamwork between FMPA and Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA). A special thanks to Gary Fisk, Jaye Godin, Ellen Leatherman, Trent Lewis, Angel Rivera-Lopez, Danyel Sullivan-Marrero, Sena Mitchell and Liyuan Woerner of FMPA and Susan Hayes and other team members of KUA for their hard work. Contact: Liyuan Woerner
Year-End Inventory at Stock Island
Louis DeSimone performed a test count at Stock Island last Tuesday to verify the completeness of year-end inventory. No adjustments were deemed necessary. Special thanks to Griff Niekerk and David Cottar of Keys Energy Services and the rest of the team for their support. Contact: Liyuan Woerner
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 landscaping improvements at a residential housing facility for Aspire Health Partners. The program provides homeless individuals with transitional housing and behavioral health services. Contact: Sharon Adams
Spill Drill at Stock Island
The Stock Island generation team participated in a Government Initiated Unannounced Exercise spill drill administered by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection earlier this month. The purpose of the drill was to test Stock Island’s Integrated Contingency Plan for spill prevention and emergency response. The team successfully passed the drill of responding to a simulated oil spill and received high praise from the Coast Guard. The unannounced drill occurs every three years. Congratulations to the Stock Island team for a job well done. Contact: David Schumann
Relay Magazine Recognizes JPP’s 25th Anniversary
The Florida Municipal Electric Association featured FMPA’s Joint Purchasing Project (JPP) in the current edition of Relay magazine. The story describes JPP’s role after Hurricane Irma and notes that JPP is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The feature also includes a Q&A with Sharon Samuels, who has played an essential role administering JPP for the last 21 years. The full article is available on Relay magazine.
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THIS WEEK
Member City Visits
Cairo Vanegas travels to Homestead on Tuesday and Lake Worth Beach on Thursday.
Year-End Inventory Counts
The Audit Department travels to Treasure Coast Energy Center on Monday to assist with a year-end inventory count. Contact: Liyuan Woerner
GE Technical Meeting
David Schumann, Jay Butters of Cane Island and Ed Leongomez of Treasure Coast travel to Greenville, South Carolina, on Monday through Wednesday for a technical meeting hosted by General Electric.
APPA CEO Climate Meeting
Jacob Williams travels to Washington, D.C., to attend the American Public Power Association’s CEO Climate Change and Generation Policy Task Force meeting on Wednesday.
Fuse Coordination for Lineworkers
FMPA’s final fuse coordination training class is Wednesday in Homestead. The class will help lineworkers improve their understanding of characteristics of fuses and the impact on reliability. Contact: Mike McCleary
UCF Engineering Presentation
Emmanuel Hernandez and Chris Schaeffer visit the University of Central Florida (UCF) on Wednesday to speak to engineering students in the new power and energy program about careers in public power. FMPA members interested in learning more about the program can contact Emmanuel.
Lineman’s Roundtable
FMPA’s Lineman Roundtable is Thursday at 10 a.m. at the City of Starke’s Fire Station. The roundtable provides a forum for crews to exchange ideas on operating practices, safety, training, tools, equipment and other common issues. Contact: Sharon Samuels
Florida Energy and Climate Summit
Susan Schumann travels to Tampa on Wednesday to attend the Florida Energy and Climate Summit.
Joint Solar Committee Meeting
The Florida Municipal Solar Project Committee and the ARP Solar Project Advisory Committee meet Friday via teleconference to discuss potential alternatives to the Poinsett site. Contact: Susan Schumann
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. 29. Contact: Jason Wolfe
Special Dates
Congratulations to Tim Jackson, who celebrates 12 years with FMPA on Tuesday, Oct. 1.
Congratulations to Matthew Nichols, who celebrates five years with FMPA on Tuesday, Oct. 1.
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COMING UP
Communicators Roundtable
Tuesday is the last day to register for the Florida Municipal Electric Association’s (FMEA) Florida Public Power Communicators Roundtable. The event will be held Oct. 8 in Kissimmee at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista South and coincides with the FMEA Energy Connections Conference and Trade Show. The roundtable provides an opportunity for communicators to discuss common issues. Registration is free, and lunch will be provided.
Public Power Week
Municipal electric utilities across the nation will celebrate Public Power Week on Oct. 6-12. The annual event is an opportunity for local utilities to share the value of public power with their communities.
Finance Committee
FMPA’s Finance Committee meets Oct. 16 at noon in FMPA’s Orlando office. Contact: Linda Howard
PMLC Meeting and Solar Tour
FMPA’s Policy Makers Liaisons Committee meets Oct. 16 at 2 p.m. After a one-hour business meeting, the committee will tour a utility-scale solar project for Reedy Creek Improvement District. The meeting and tour are open to all FMPA members. A dinner is planned after the tour. FMPA needs an accurate RSVP count for the tour, bus rental and dinner reservation. Please RSVP to Sue Utley.
Governing Boards
FMPA’s governing boards meet Oct. 17 at FMPA’s Orlando office. The Board of Directors will meet at 8:30 a.m., and the Executive Committee will meet immediately following the Board of Directors. Contact: Jacob Williams
Meter Tech Roundtable
FMPA will hold a Meter Tech Roundtable on Nov. 6 at 10 a.m. in Leesburg. The roundtable provides a forum for participants to discuss metering topics, such as policies, procedures, equipment, AMI and more. Registration is free, and lunch will be provided. Contact: Sharon Samuels
APPA Legislative Rally
The American Public Power Association (APPA) has scheduled its annual Legislative Rally for Feb. 24-26, 2020, at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. The Rally is an opportunity for members of the public power community to participate in the federal legislative process. FMPA has budgeted funds to pay the travel expenses for 14 members to attend the Rally. Ryan Dumas sent an email Monday to FMPA’s members with information about the Rally. Please respond to Ryan if you are interested in participating under FMPA’s travel reimbursement.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
PSC to Hold Hearing on Underground Power Lines
The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) meets Thursday to consider proposed rules that could lead to the expansion of underground power lines in Florida. The rulemaking will change the way investor-owned utilities recover costs for underground facilities and other storm-hardening projects. The proposed rules recommended by the PSC staff address how project costs would be passed on to customers, how that process would work and when utilities would be able to start collecting money from customers. If the Commission approves the rules, they will be filed with the Florida Department of State and become effective 20 days later, unless otherwise specified in the approved rules. The Florida Legislature passed a law last session directing the Commission to implement these new rules as soon as practicable but no later than Oct. 31. The hearing will be streamed live on the PSC’s website.
Florida AFL-CIO Opposes Electric Deregulation
The labor union AFL-CIO said last Thursday it opposes the proposed Florida Constitutional amendment that would grant customers of investor-owned utilities the right to choose their electricity provider. Florida AFL-CIO Executive Board Member J.B. Clark said, “There is little doubt that working Floridians will be devastated by the impacts of the energy choice amendment. This is why so many, including the Florida AFL-CIO, have banded together to oppose this dangerous proposal because the deceptive measure would leave families with higher utility costs and union workers jobless.”
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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 Melisa Inanc or Rachel Ilardi 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: Melisa Inanc or Rachel Ilardi
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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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