FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
Jan. 30, 2012
LAST WEEK
ARP Conservation Quarterly Report
The All-Requirements Project’s (ARP) Conservation Program published its first quarter report for fiscal 2012 last Monday. Highlights include: 1) ARP participants spent $244,145 on energy-saving measures for their customers, and 2) the energy-saving measures have the potential to save customers more than 1.3 million kWh per year and 9,500 MWh over the life of the measures taken. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
3 Phase Times
FMPA’s Power Resources Division published the December 2011 edition of 3 Phase Times last Monday. This monthly 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. Beginning with this month’s report, the Fuel Mix and Total Resources graphs include the usage for all FMPA generation output serving the ARP and the Florida Municipal Power Pool. The December report shows that natural gas represented 82.1% of the ARP’s generation fuel mix, an increase of 19% from November. The increase in natural gas generation was due to low gas prices and significant net power sales to the Power Pool. For more information, download 3 Phase Times from the Member Portal. Contact: Tom Reedy
Member City Visit
Mike Siefert traveled to Bushnell last Friday for a member city visit to discuss FMPA member services. Mike also recently traveled to Wauchula.
THIS WEEK
FMEA Legislative Rally
Fred Bryant, Jody Finklea and Mark McCain are attending the Florida Municipal Electric Association’s Legislative Rally on Monday and Tuesday in Tallahassee. Participants will discuss electric industry issues with state legislators, including a bill that allows intergovemental agencies, like FMPA, to establish a quorum to conduct public meetings and workshops using communications media technology. More information on the Intergovemental Cooperation Bill is available on the Member Portal.
New Employee
Please welcome Md Haque, FMPA’s new Associate Operations Engineer, to the staff on Monday. Md received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of South Florida. He comes to FMPA from Lee County Electric Cooperative, where he served as a power engineer inte.
FMPA Mobile to Mobile
If you are calling FMPA’s Orlando office on your AT&T cell phone, you can use a telephone number for the office that does not count against plan minutes because it is a free AT&T mobile to mobile call. The FMPA Mobile to Mobile number is (407) 454-4817.
All-Requirements Project Weekly Load Statistics
The weekly update of the All-Requirements Project historical load graph has been posted on the Member Portal. The graph is updated through Jan. 29. Contact: Jim Atz
Special Dates
Congratulations to Jason Wolfe, who celebrates one year with FMPA on Tuesday, Jan. 31.
COMING UP
ARP Telephonic Rate Workshop
The ARP Executive Committee meets Feb. 8 via conference call at 2 p.m. for the monthly All-Requirements Project rate workshop. The agenda includes: 1) an update on natural gas markets, FST and liquidity, 2) an overview of January operations, loads, costs and rate calculations, and 3) estimated rates for February through April. Contact: Jim Atz
High Bill Complaint Training and Roundtable
FMPA hosts a High Bill Complaint Training and Roundtable on March 8 at 10 a.m. in the Board room. Florida Municipal Electric Association’s Cheryl Anderson will discuss the types of high bill complaints, how to interact with angry customers, high bill best practices and complaint prevention strategies. Customer service representatives, call center representatives, collection specialists and counter clerks are encouraged to attend. Visit General” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.ecomagination.com/progress/innovation/grid/grid-iq-experience-center/>General Electric’s Grid IQ Experience Center. Mark McCain, Mike Siefert and Bud Boudreaux plan to attend, and FMPA members are welcome. For more information, contact Mike Siefert.
INDUSTRY NEWS
S&P Expects Stable Ratings for Public Power, but Sees Medium-Term Risks
Public power’s credit quality will remain solid and ratings will stay stable throughout the next 12 months, Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said in a Jan. 19 report. However, with economic and regulatory risks bearing down, the long-term picture is less than clear, with potential problems for some utilities that do not respond effectively to rising costs. S&P said it expects much of the U.S. generating fleet will retire in the next several years as a result of environmental legislation. While coal will remain part of the national fuel mix, the U.S. generating fleet likely will continue a gradual shift toward natural gas, the report said. S&P said its outlook for the economy is relatively weak, with 1.8% GDP growth expected in 2012, consistent with 2011 levels. S&P expects public power utilities will, for the most part, sustain their credit ratings by passing compliance costs on to ratepayers while maintaining financial flexibility. S&P added that while natural gas prices are low and likely to remain so in the next few years, the retu of historical price volatility remains a conce.
EIA Sees Natural Gas, Renewables Taking Electricity Market Share from Coal
The use of renewable fuels and natural gas for electric power generation will rise over the next 25 years, largely at the expense of coal, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects in an early release of a portion of its early” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.eia.gov/forecasts/aeo/er/>early release of the 2012 outlook is available on EIA’s website. The agency plans to issue the full Annual Energy Outlook 2012 on April 26.
Obama Plans to Nominate Clark to FERC, Sieminski to Head EIA
President Obama said last Monday that he intends to nominate North Dakota Public Service Commissioner Tony Clark to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Clark has served on the North Dakota commission since 2000 and is the immediate past president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. He would fill the seat vacated by Marc Spitzer on Dec. 14. The president also said he plans to nominate Adam E. Sieminski to be administrator of the Energy Information Administration. Sieminski is the chief energy economist for Deutsche Bank, where he has served since 2005.
FMPA Weekly is published by FMPA for employees and goveing boards of FMPA member utilities. Questions or comments about this newsletter may be directed to Ryan Dumas or Carina Miles 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 lea more. (Click here for the Staff Directory.)
Have a question, comment or story idea for the newsletter? FMPA welcomes your feedback at any time. Contact: Ryan Dumas or Carina Miles
Florida Municipal Power Agency
8553 Commodity Circle
Orlando, FL 32819-9002
Tel 407 355-7767
Fax 407 355-5794
http://www.fmpa.com
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