FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
March 28, 2016
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LAST WEEK
Moody’s Credit Ratings
Moody’s Investors Service upgraded the credit rating of FMPA’s Tri-City Project to A1 from A2, which means the project’s debt is high grade and subject to low credit risk. In addition, Moody’s last Monday affirmed the A1 rating for FMPA’s Stanton II Project and the A2 rating for FMPA’s St. Lucie Project. The rating outlook for all three projects is considered “stable by Moody’s. According to Moody’s, the Tri-City upgrade was influenced by: 1) improved credit quality of the cities that purchase from Tri-City, 2) Florida’s recovering economy, 3) solid Tri-City cash flow, 4) sound legal security for the Tri-City contracts, and 5) good economics and performance of Tri-City.
Member Services Advisory Committee
FMPA’s Member Services Advisory Committee met last Wednesday and approved: 1) a subscription for a grant research website to assist members, 2) a schedule revision for the Member Services Satisfaction Survey, and 3) an annual report on member participation in member services. The full agenda package is available on the Member Portal. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
3 Phase Times
FMPA’s Power Resources Division published the February 2016 edition of 3 Phase Times. 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. The report shows that natural gas represented 77.4% of FMPA’s total energy sources in February. ARP sold 90,910 MWh to the Florida Municipal Power Pool (FMPP) at an average price of $15.27 per MWh, which was lower than the estimated short-term forecast of 119,469 MWh. The FMPP Average Monthly Gas Dispatch Price in February was $2.141 per MMBtu, 29 cents lower than January’s average. For more information, download 3 Phase Times from the Member Portal. Contact: Frank Gaffney
Cane Island Unit 3
Cane Island Unit 3 came back online Sunday after a planned outage. The outage was necessary to conduct routine maintenance that was not possible while the unit was operating. Contact: David Schumann
Staff Member Featured
Michele Jackson was featured in the March 25 edition of the Orlando Business Journal in a profile of women in engineering. An excerpt of the article can be found on the publication’s blog. Access to the full article requires a subscription, or it is available from FMPA’s Public Relations Department upon request.
Board of Directors Member Relations Survey
Thank you to members who participated in the 2016 Board of Directors Member Relations Survey, which closed last Friday. The survey received 22 responses for a 71% response rate. The survey is a strategic action item to support the goal of fostering a positive communication culture. Results of the survey will be shared with members and staff in May. Contact: Mark McCain
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THIS WEEK
Meter Tech Roundtable
FMPA will hold a Meter Tech Roundtable on Thursday at 10 a.m. in Leesburg. The roundtable provides a forum for meter technicians and maintenance staff to discuss topics such as operating procedures, equipment, safety, training and more. Leesburg Electric also will provide a tour of its operations center and discuss its advanced metering infrastructure implementation. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
Management Development Program
The deadline to register for Series II of FMPA’s Management Development Program is Thursday, March 31. The series will start on April 12 and 13 at FMPA’s Orlando office. Participation in Series I is not a prerequisite for participation in Series II. The series will cover topics such as: 1) managing conflict, 2) building effective teams and teamwork, and 3) leading positive change. The cost is $1,100 per series. Registration is available on FMPA.com. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
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 March 27. Contact: Jim Arntz
Special Dates
Congratulations to Rick Minch, who celebrates six years with FMPA on Tuesday, March 29.
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COMING UP
Leadership Conference for Women in Energy
The inaugural Florida’s Women in Energy Leadership Forum will be held April 14 and 15 at the World Center Marriott in Orlando. The Florida Municipal Electric Association is a co-sponsor of the event. It will highlight how the energy industry is contributing to economic and workforce development. Speakers include women in senior leadership positions at electric utilities. Registration information is available online.
Policy Makers Liaisons Committee
The Policy Makers Liaisons Committee will meet April 20 at 1 p.m. in the first-floor conference room at FMPA’s Orlando office. Lunch will be served at noon. Contact: Mark McCain
Audit and Risk Oversight Committee Meeting
The Audit and Risk Oversight Committee will meet April 21 at 8:30 a.m. in the Board room at FMPA’s Orlando office. Contact: Rich Popp
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors will meet April 21 at 9:30 a.m. or immediately following the Audit and Risk Oversight Committee meeting in the Board room at FMPA’s Orlando office. Contact: Nick Guarriello
ARP Executive Committee
The ARP Executive Committee will meet April 21 in the Board room at FMPA’s Orlando office. The meeting starts at 10 a.m. or immediately following the Board of Directors meeting. Contact: Nick Guarriello
Distribution Reliability Roundtable
FMPA will host a Distribution Reliability Roundtable on April 28 at 10 a.m. at FMPA’s Orlando office. The roundtable provides a forum for participants to discuss topics such as reporting procedures, definitions, interpretations, best practices and more. Registration is requested by April 22. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
Lineman’s Roundtable
FMPA’s Lineman’s Roundtable will be held in Vero Beach on May 5. The roundtable provides a forum for line crews to exchange ideas on operating practices, safety, training, tools, equipment and more. The forum is open to all levels of utility line crew personnel as well as any utility staff member. The registration deadline is April 28. Contact: Sharon Samuels
Substation Training
FMPA is continuing to offer a series of substation training classes with the next class scheduled for May 24 and May 25 on the topic of safety awareness. The training will be held at Orlando Utilities Commission’s engineering building in Orlando. The cost is $900 per two-day session. The registration deadline is May 6. Contact:Sharon Smeenk
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Gov. Scott Vetoes Gainesville Utility Authority Bill
Gainesville will not be getting a regional utility authority. Gov. Rick Scott vetoed HB 1355 last Friday that would have created the Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority. The authority would have managed and operated city-owned Gainesville Regional Utilities. The goveor cited the proposed pay for Board members as the reason for the veto. Under the bill, each member of the authority would have been paid $18,000 per year. In his veto letter, Gov. Scott said hundreds of appointees across the state serve on critical goveing boards without being compensated. This is the first bill the goveor has vetoed this legislative session.
Groups Threaten Suit Over FPL Plant
Two environmental groups are threatening to sue Florida Power and Light (FPL) after a report from Miami-Dade County indicated there may be nuclear materials leaking into Biscayne Bay from FPL’s Turkey Point nuclear plant. The Tropical Audubon Society and Southe Alliance for Clean Energy say the utility has known about pollution issues for six years and they, along with state regulators, have failed to adequately address them. A formal notice of intent to sue has been sent to both FPL and the state. Miami-Dade’s report says that tritium was found in Biscayne Bay. Tritium is a tracer element that could indicate that contaminated water is leaking from the plant’s cooling canals. The suit asks federal regulators to step in to prevent any contamination of the bay.
Renewable Energy Issue Goes on Primary Ballot
Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill last Friday that will place on the Aug. 30 primary-election ballot a proposal that could give commercial property owners a tax break on renewable energy devices. Lawmakers this month approved a proposed constitutional amendment (HJR 193) and an accompanying bill (HB 195). The accompanying bill called for the proposed constitutional amendment to appear on the primary ballot instead of the November general-election ballot. The proposed constitutional amendment did not need Scott’s approval, but the accompanying bill did. If approved by voters, the proposal would exempt the assessed value of solar and renewable energy devices installed on commercial and industrial property. The proposal is intended to expand for 20 years an exemption that is already provided to residential property owners.
Attack Confirmed Against Ukrainian Grid
Cyberattackers who targeted three electric distribution companies in Ukraine last December had knowledge of utility systems that allowed them to take advantage of vulnerabilities in the utilities’ networks, according to a report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center and SANS Industrial Control Systems. The attackers began to monitor the utility six months or more before that attack, which was carried out on Dec. 23. They were able to invade the control systems of three utilities by using phishing and malware to access the utilities’ networks, the report said. The resulting outage affected 225,000 customers and lasted for a few hours.
Iranians Indicted in Cyberattack Against Dam, Banks
Indictments have been filed by the Justice Department against seven Iranians accused of mounting a cyberattack against five U.S. banks and the control systems of a power generating dam north of New York City. The group has ties to the Iranian govement, according to the indictment. The attack against the dam did not result in any damage or service interruptions because the gate the hackers tried to control was disconnected for maintenance. This is only the second time that the U.S. has brought charges against a foreign govement for hacking. In 2014, five members of China’s People’s Liberations Army were indicted for stealing data from American corporations.
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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 Jeff Grainger or Joscelyn Bivins 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: Jeff Grainger or Joscelyn Bivins
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