FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
May 30, 2017
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LAST WEEK
Member City Visits
Jacob Williams traveled to Leesburg and Ocala last Tuesday for member city visits.
Navy Visit to Orlando
U.S. Navy Director of Intelligence and Oversight Jack Summer met with several members of FMPA’s Information Technology and Compliance departments last Wednesday to discuss cyber security and critical infrastructure protection. Summe was in Orlando for other business and used the opportunity to meet with electric utilities, including FMPA and Orlando Utilities Commission. FMPA discussed its security efforts for corporate IT and generation assets. Contact: Carol Chinn
Social Media
FMPA’s Twitter account surpassed 100 followers last week, and FMPA’s Facebook account has 96 followers. The Public Relations Department is aiming for 250 followers by the end of 2017. All individuals or member utilities active on social media are encouraged to follow and share FMPA’s content. Contact: Mark McCain
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THIS WEEK
FRCC Board Meeting
Jacob Williams travels to Tampa on Tuesday to attend a Board meeting for the Florida Reliability Coordinating Council.
Budget Cost Centers Review
The budget cost center team meeting originally scheduled for last week has been rescheduled for Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. via teleconference. The All-Requirements Project’s cost centers will be reviewed along with brief remarks about the Stanton projects. Contact: Mark Larson
Business Planning and Budget Committee
FMPA’s Business Planning and Budget Committee meets Friday at 9 a.m. in the Board room of FMPA’s Orlando office. A dial-in option is also available. Contact: Mark Larson
Bartow Bid
Frank Gaffney travels to Bartow on Wednesday to attend a City Council workshop where the city’s Invitation to Negotiate Power Supply procurement will be discussed. FMPA’s bids are on the shortlist for consideration.
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 May 29. Contact: Jim Arntz
Special Dates
Congratulations to Tom Richards, who celebrates two years with FMPA on Thursday, June 1.
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COMING UP
APPA National Conference and Florida Public Power Breakfast
The American Public Power Association’s (APPA) National Conference and Public Power Expo will be held June 16-21 at the Orlando World Center Marriot. Among the topics that will be covered are: 1) the electric utility industry from the inside out, 2) working solar into your business model, and 3) our future planet: the shaping forces. FMPA is hosting a breakfast June 20 for Florida attendees. The breakfast is being sponsored by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan Chase and Co., and Wells Fargo. An invitation was emailed May 18 from Ryan Dumas to registered Florida attendees, FMPA’s Board of Directors and alteates, and ARP Executive Committee members and alteates. The email contains a link to RSVP for the breakfast online. >Registration for the conference is available on APPA’s website.
Governing Board Meetings
FMPA’s governing board meetings for June have been moved to June 21 to coincide with the conclusion of the APPA National Conference. The St. Lucie, Stanton and Stanton II participants meeting will be held at 10 a.m., followed by the Board of Directors at 11 a.m. and the Executive Committee at 11:30 a.m. Contact: Jacob Williams
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Forecasters Predict Above-Average Atlantic Hurricane Season
Forecasters predict that the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, which begins Thursday and runs through Nov. 30, will likely be above average. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts a 70% likelihood of 11 to 17 named storms, of which five to nine could become hurricanes, including two to four major hurricanes. While an above-average season is most likely with a 45% chance, there is also a 35% chance of a near-average season and a 20% chance of a below-average season. “The outlook reflects our expectation of a weak or non-existent El Nino, near- or above-average sea-surface temperatures across the tropical Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, and average or weaker-than-average vertical wind shear in that same region, said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.
FPL Seeks Approval for New Dania Beach Power Plant
Florida Power & Light (FPL) is seeking approval from the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) to retire and rebuild generation at the site of the company’s first power plant in Dania Beach near Fort Lauderdale. The current plant was last updated 25 years ago, and some major plant components date back to the 1950s, FPL said. In its place, FPL is proposing to build 1,163 MW of natural gas-fueled combined cycle units at a cost of $888 million. The estimated in-service date is June 2022. In its filing last week with the PSC, FPL asked for an exemption from the required Request for Proposal process, which is intended to verify the most cost-effective option. FPL, which has received such exemptions for past projects, pointed to factors such as its ownership of the site and existing infrastructure where the new plant would be built. FPL stated that if the exemption is permitted, the PSC would still review the merits and costs of the project through the Determination of Need regulatory-approval process. The utility hopes to start that process as early as fall.
FPL Seeks Regulatory Approval to Shut Down St. Johns Coal Plant
Florida Power & Light (FPL) filed last Monday with the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) seeking approval by Dec. 1 to shut down a coal-fired power plant in Jacksonville. FPL is seeking PSC approval to pay $90.4 million to JEA, which jointly owns and operates the St. Johns River Power Park. In addition, FPL would assign its portion of the plant’s debt service reserve fund, bringing a total value to JEA of approximately $134 million. FPL said the deal would ultimately save customers an estimated $183 million because of eliminating future costs related to the plant. The utility also said shutting down the coal-fired plant will have environmental benefits. The plan to shut down the power plant was announced in March. JEA’s Board of Directors approved on May 16 definitive shutdown and termination agreements with FPL. If the PSC approves the proposal by Dec. 1, FPL’s filing said the 1,322 MW plant could be shut down as early as Jan. 5. During the past two years, FPL has received approval from regulators to retire two other coal-fired plants. In 2015, it received approval to buy and shut down the Cedar Bay power plant in Jacksonville. That was followed last year by approval to buy the Indiantown Cogeneration plant in Martin County, and that plant is slated to close by the end of 2019. In recent years, FPL has invested heavily in new natural gas-fueled power plants that it says operate more efficiently than older facilities.
Senate Committee Holds Confirmation Hearing on Energy Nominees
Confirmation hearings were held last Thursday by the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to consider President Trump’s appointments to the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Dan Brouilette was nominated as Deputy Secretary for DOE, and Neil Chatterjee and Robert Powelson have been recommended for FERC commissioners. Currently, FERC only has two of five commission positions filled, so the commission has be unable to conduct regular business meetings since early February due to the lack of a quorum. Votes on the energy nominees are expected in June. Additional appointments for FERC will be needed to fill another vacant seat and to address the term of Commissioner Colette Honorable, which expires at the end of June.
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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 Holly Cammisa 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.
Have a question, comment or story idea for the newsletter? FMPA welcomes your feedback at any time. Contact: Jeff Grainger or Holly Cammisa