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March 2, 2020 |
TOP NEWS
Florida Municipal Solar Project Panel Installments
FMPA and 12 municipal utilities reached a milestone in Phase I of the Florida Municipal Solar Project with the installation of solar panels at the Harmony and Taylor Creek Solar Energy Centers. Construction on Phase I began in November 2019 and will include 900,000 solar panels at three facilities located in Osceola and Orange Counties. The Taylor Creek and Harmony sites are expected to come online in June 2020. Contact: Susan Schumann
APPA Legislative Rally
Forty people from Florida, including representatives from FMPA, the Florida Municipal Electric Association and 15 public power communities, traveled to Washington, D.C., last week to attend the American Public Power Association’s (APPA) Legislative Rally. While in the nation’s capital, participants met with Senate and House members or their staff to discuss federal legislative issues related to electric utilities, including FEMA, 6 GHz spectrum, municipal bonds and clean energy. A copy of the Federal Legislative Issues Summary is available on the Portal, and pictures from the meetings are posted on FMPA’s Facebook page. Contact: Ryan Dumas
Training and Safety Services RFP
MSAC Training and Safety Subcommittee issued a request for proposal (RFP) for training and safety services last week to ensure FMPA members have options and receive value in the training services provided. The Training and Safety Subcommittee will provide recommendations to MSAC when the committee meets on March 25. The RFP is available for download on the Portal. Contact: Mike McCleary.
NERC Planning Committee
Carl Turner attends the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) Planning Committee meeting in Atlanta on Monday through Wednesday. This is the last meeting of the Planning Committee, Operating Committee, and Critical Infrastructure Protection Committee, and the first meeting for the Reliability and Security Technical Committee (RSTC). RSTC will replace the three previous committees and serve as an advisory role to develop NERC’s regulatory standards and guidelines.
Behind the Switch Social Media Campaign
FMPA’s Public Relations Department launches a social-media campaign on Wednesday called “Behind the Switch” to give people a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to provide affordable and reliable solar energy. This year’s campaign includes a series of short videos that show customers what goes into generating solar energy. The four videos explain solar power generation, the benefits of a large-scale solar project, how electricity is generated when there is no sunlight, and solar power options available to customers. The videos will be posted on FMPA’s Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter pages throughout March. Contact: Melisa Inanc
Cybersecurity Workshop
FMPA hosts an Operational Technology Threat Workshop on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. at the Orlando office. The purpose of the workshop is to offer resources to members to help protect against cyber threats. Interested members can contact Carter Manucy for more information.
AMI Workshop
FMPA will host an AMI Workshop on April 30 at 9 a.m. at the Orlando office. The purpose of the workshop is to explore opportunities for creating value for FMPA’s cities by working together on AMI deployment. The workshop attendees will discuss potential joint-action options in AMI and identify potential costs, benefits and risks of those options. The desired outcome of the workshop is to evaluate options and determine if any cities want to work together to further explore joint-action opportunities related to AMI. Contact: Mark McCain
SPECIAL DATES
Anniversaries
Ken Rutter | March 1 | 1 Year
Jesse Rivera | March 5 | 2 Years
Denise Fuentes | March 6 | 14 Years
Ian Beason | March 7 | 4 Years
Sue Utley | March 8 | 16 Years
COMING UP
Meter Tech Roundtable
March 26 | 10 a.m. | Ocala Electric Utility
Foreman Academy
March 30 – April 2 | FMPA’s Orlando Office
HR Roundtable
April 9 | 10 a.m. | FMPA’s Orlando Office
Florida Public Power Hurricane Forum
May 13 – 14 | Orlando, FL
TOP INDUSTRY NEWS
FPL Solar Plan Sparks Controversy
OUC’s New Plan Includes Net-Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050
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FMPA Weekly is published by FMPA’s Public Relations Department for staff and members. Questions about this newsletter may be directed to Melisa Inanc or Melanie Arsenault. Check out FMPA’s Glossary, for frequently mentioned terms.