FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
March 27, 2017
LAST WEEK
Solar Project
FMPA members interested in participating in a utility-scale solar project are asked to indicate their interest level by April 14. FMPA plans to discuss project opportunities with potential partners and needs a strong indication of a desired amount of solar energy to find the best project opportunity by the end of the fiscal year. Contact: Michele Jackson
Bartow Bid
FMPA responded last week to an Invitation to Negotiate Power Supply from the City of Bartow, whose current power supply contract ends in December. This bid aligns with one of FMPA’s strategic priorities set by the Board of Directors to reduce rates for members by selling excess capacity to other municipals. Contact: Frank Gaffney
ARP Bond Refinancing RFP
Nine responses were received by last Friday’s deadline for the Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking financial institutions to refinance variable-rate bonds issued in 2011 for the All-Requirements Project. Staff will review the responses and have a report at an upcoming Executive Committee meeting. The RFP is available for download on FMPA.com. Contact: Linda Howard
THIS WEEK
State Legislative Rally
Jacob Williams travels to Tallahassee on Monday for Florida Municipal Electric Association’s annual Legislative Rally.
Member Services Advisory Committee
The Member Services Advisory Committee meets Thursday at 10 a.m. via teleconference. FMPA Chairman Bill Conrad made appointments last week to fill two vacancies on the committee. Effective immediately, Patrick Foster from Leesburg and James Braddock from Wauchula will join the committee. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
Conservation and Renewable Energy Advisory Committee
FMPA’s Conservation and Renewable Energy Advisory Committee meets Thursday at 1 p.m. via teleconference or in the Board room of FMPA’s Orlando office. The committee will hear one action item requesting approval of fiscal 2018 funding for the ARP Conservation Program. Information items on the agenda include: 1) status update on Solar PV Project, 2) update on joint-action marketing and communications with retail customers about conservation and solar energy, and 3) suggestions for future agenda items. Contact: Michele Jackson
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 March 26. Contact: Jim Arntz
Special Dates
Congratulations to Andrei Benjamin, who celebrates four years with FMPA on Monday, March 27.
Congratulations to Rick Minch, who celebrates seven years with FMPA on Wednesday, March 29.
COMING UP
Florida Lineman Competition
Friday is the deadline to register contestants for the annual Florida Lineman Competition. The event will be held April 21-22 at Tiger Town in Lakeland. The competition is for lineworkers from all over the region to demonstrate their skills. Joueyman teams and apprentices can compete for professional recognition, attend training courses and practice essential skills in a safe environment. Competition and registration information is available on the Florida Municipal Electric Association’s website.
Linemen Roundtable
Registration is open for FMPA’s Linemen Roundtable scheduled for May 4 at 10 a.m. in Bushnell. The roundtable provides a forum for line crews to exchange information on operating practices, safety, training, tools, equipment and other common issues. The session is open to all levels of utility line crew personnel, as well as any utility staff member who has an interest in transmission and distribution topics. Attendance is free, and lunch will be provided. Contact: Sharon Smeenk
INDUSTRY NEWS
St. Johns River Power Park to be Decommissioned in 2018
JEA and Florida Power & Light (FPL) announced on March 17 an agreement to decommission the St. Johns River Power Park (SJRPP), a 1,252 MW coal-fired electric generating plant, in early-2018. JEA has excess generating capacity, so SJRPP produced half as much energy last year as it did 10 years ago, JEA said. Retirement of the facility will result in significant annual cost savings, according to JEA, that can be directed to debt reduction and capital projects. In addition, JEA’s carbon footprint will be decreased by 30%. The 30-year-old plant is owned 80% by JEA and 20% by FPL. The plant’s closure will result in job displacements for SJRPP’s 204 employees. All staff will be offered employment opportunities for open positions at JEA or FPL. The proposed agreement requires final approval from JEA’s Board of Directors and other regulatory agencies.
Gulf Power Reaches Rate Settlement
Gulf Power and the Office of Public Counsel reached a settlement last Monday for the investor-owned utility’s proposed base-rate increase. Gulf originally asked for an increase of $106.8 million but agreed to $62 million. If approved, the new rates would add approximately $7 to the bills of customers who use 1,000 kWh per month, increasing the typical residential bill from $144 to $151. Terms of the settlement also include a 10.25% retu on equity for Gulf, rather than the 11% originally requested. This settlement will be considered April 4 by the Florida Public Service Commission and could be effective July 1.
Florida Senate Subcommittee Approves Pollution Notification Bill
The Florida Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Environment and Natural Resources unanimously approved a bill last Tuesday that would mandate the notification of pollution incidents to the Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The bill would require owners and operators of facilities responsible for pollution to submit reports to the DEP within 24 hours of an incident. The department, in tu, would be required to post the information online within 24 hours and create a subscription system for people to receive the notices. Gov. Rick Scott called for a pollution notification rule in response to high-profile pollution incidents last year in Polk County and Tampa Bay.
Consumer Protections Added to a Bill for Enacting Solar Amendment 4
Consumer protection measures for residential solar installations won initial approval last week in a Florida House subcommittee. The provisions were added to a bill for enacting the solar constitutional amendment passed last August by state voters. Amendment 4 extends renewable-energy tax breaks to commercial and industrial properties. The amended bill requires solar installers to provide an estimate of a buyer’s or lessee’s utility charges. In addition, it would give the Florida Public Service Commission authority to set safety, performance and reliability standards for solar systems.
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 Sean Murtha 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 Sean Murtha
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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