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March 1, 2021 |
TOP NEWS
FERC Actions on the Texas Energy Crisis
FERC issued several notices last week in response to the extreme cold weather and major outages in the Midwest and Texas, which resulted in high electricity demand and limited supply of electricity and natural gas. In response to this energy crisis, FERC and NERC opened a joint inquiry into the bulk power system to look into what went wrong and identify solutions. In a second notice, FERC announced they are looking into investigating potential wrongdoing regarding market participants engaging in market manipulation or other violations. FERC will also open a new proceeding to examine the threat that climate change and extreme weather events pose to electric reliability. FMPA will continue to update members on the progress of the actions FERC is taking. Contact: Truong Le
TVPPA Foreman Academy Certification
The first track of the Tennessee Valley Public Power Association (TVPPA) Foreman Academy certification series began last week. FMPA received positive feedback from the participants for the course content and instruction style. The second track will be held on June 21, and the third track is on December 6. FMPA encourages members to take the series in order to build on the knowledge and tools from the previous tracks. For those who missed the first track of the series, FMPA will offer the course early 2022. Contact: Sharon Samuels
Florida Public Power Congressional Meetings
Representatives from FMPA, the Florida Municipal Electric Association and Florida’s public power communities will begin meeting this week with federal Senate and House members and their staff to discuss issues related to electric utilities. The virtual meetings support the American Public Power Association’s annual Legislative Rally and are spread out over the next several weeks to accommodate the Congress members’ schedules. Discussion topics will include the FEMA reimbursement process, tax and municipal bonds, and clean energy. A copy of the Federal Legislative Issues Summary is available on the Portal. Contact: Ryan Dumas
Pooled Loans
FMPA’s Finance Team is looking at two potential pooled loans for member cities. They are in the early discussion stage with Homestead and city of Starke. Members who are looking for tax-exempt borrowings or taxable operating and maintenance needs are encouraged to apply for loans through FMPA’s Pooled Loan Project, which allows members to borrow money for utility projects in a cost-effective way. Contact: Linda Howard
Financial Assistance
FMPA’s Finance Team signed a member services agreement to assist the city of Starke with their 2020-2021 internal financial statements and 2019 Management Letter follow up. Contact: Linda Howard
Meter Tech Roundtable
The deadline to register for the Meter Tech Roundtable is Tuesday. The Meter Tech Roundtable taking place on March 11 provides an opportunity for meter maintenance staff to discuss operating practices, equipment, tools, safety and more. Seating is limited to accommodate for social distancing guidelines. Registration is free and can be accessed on FMPA’s website. Contact: Sharon Samuels
Plant Appreciation Lunch
Jacob Williams, Ken Rutter, and FMPA’s generation team members attend a luncheon Wednesday with the KEYS Energy Services team at the Stock Island Plant. The luncheon is to celebrate the plant’s operating performance in fiscal 2020.
Reliability Support
Cairo Vanegas travels to Wauchula on Thursday to present the findings of a reliability analysis. One of FMPA’s management goals is to support members to enhance their system reliability. Interested members can contact Cairo for assistance.
Annual Salary Survey
The deadline for members to complete FMPA’s annual utility salary survey is March 19. The survey results will provide members with Florida-specific salary and benefit information. Contact: Sharon Adams
SPECIAL DATES
Anniversaries
Ken Rutter | March 1 | 2 years
Jesse Rivera | March 5 | 3 years
Denise Fuentes | March 6 | 15 years
COMING UP
HR Roundtable
March 17 | 10 a.m. | Teleconference
Finance Committee
March 17 | 3 p.m. | FMPA’s Orlando Office
Safety Compliance for Electric Utilities
March 19 | 1 p.m. |Teleconference
TOP INDUSTRY NEWS
Gulf Power Announces Two Large Solar Projects and One Battery System
Gulf Power Seeks Extra Charge to Cover Hurricane Sally Costs
Supreme Court Challenged Duke Solar Plan
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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 Amy Raleigh. Check out FMPA’s Glossary, for frequently mentioned terms.