FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
Oct. 16, 2017
LAST WEEK
Stanton Unit 2
Stanton Unit 2 came back online Saturday after an outage to repair damage caused by Hurricane Irma and completing regular maintenance. A routine maintenance outage was originally scheduled for fall, so it was moved up to repair storm damage and minimize the number of days the unit was out of service. Contact: David Schumann
Cane Island Unit 4
Cane Island Unit 4 was taken offline last Friday for a planned maintenance outage. The outage is scheduled for nine days. Contact: David Schumann
Hurricane Irma Sticker
FMPA and the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) created a special sticker to thank the many people who helped restore power after Hurricane Irma. The stickers were distributed last week by FMEA to out-of-state utilities, and stickers will be distributed this week by FMPA to in-state utilities. Email Ryan Dumas with the number of stickers you would like. Contact: Mark McCain
Document Portal Survey
A survey was launched last week to gather feedback on FMPA’s Document Portal website. FMPA plans to update the site’s technology, enhance the search feature, improve the user interface and refresh the content. The https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FMPA-Document-Portal-Feedback>
FMPA Weekly Readership Survey
Thank you to readers of FMPA Weekly who responded to the recent readership survey. The newsletter was created in 2000 to enhance inteal communications by providing access to timely, worthwhile information about what is happening at the Agency. Among FMPA members who responded to the survey, 97% agreed the newsletter is timely and 97% agreed it provides worthwhile information. Among staff respondents, 97% agreed the newsletter is timely and 94% agreed it provides worthwhile information. Some suggestions from respondents included: 1) adding links to stories in the Industry News section for more information, 2) increasing coverage of non-All-Requirements projects, particularly focused on project performance, 3) featuring stories on products that FMPA members have found useful for their operations that other members may also find useful. Contact: Mark McCain
THIS WEEK
Member City Visits
FMPA staff will visit member cities this week to give presentations on the proposed sale of Vero Beach’s electric utility. Jacob Williams travels to Clewiston on Monday, and he will visit Ocala on Tuesday. Mark McCain will be in Moore Haven Tuesday evening. On Wednesday, Jacob and Frank Gaffney travel to Lake Worth.
Introductory Visits
Mike McCleary travels to Gainesville, Ocala and Williston this week to continue his introductory meetings with FMPA member cities. At the meetings, Mike is looking for input on who handles after-hours calls and whether or not it meets member needs during larger events. Members who have not scheduled meetings with Mike are encouraged to do so by sending him an email.
Plant Managers Meeting
David Schumann and Tim Jackson meet at Treasure Coast Energy Center (TCEC) on Wednesday with managers from Cane Island Power Park, Stock Island Generating Facility and TCEC to discuss a contractual service agreement, plant operations and share best practices.
Policy Makers Liaisons Committee
FMPA’s Policy Makers Liaisons Committee meets Wednesday at Treasure Coast Energy Center in Fort Pierce. Lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m., and the business meeting starts at 1:30 p.m. The committee will hear a report from FMPA’s General Manager and three information items: 1) state legislative update, 2) FMPA solar project update, and 3) round table discussion by policy makers on the most important electric issue in their communities. A tour of the plant is planned beginning at approximately 2:30 p.m., or immediately following the committee meeting. The full agenda package is available on the Portal. Contact: Mark McCain
Board of Directors
FMPA’s Board of Directors meets Thursday at 8 a.m. at Fort Pierce Utilities Authority’s Energy Services Center. The Board will consider three action items: 1) revision of the Accounting Risk Management Policy, 2) revision of the Debt Risk Management Policy, and 3) Stanton II bond transaction. The full agenda package is available on the Portal. Contact: Jacob Williams
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee meets Thursday at Fort Pierce Utilities Authority’s Energy Services Center at 8:30 a.m., or immediately following the Board of Directors meeting. The committee will consider three action items: 1) rate schedule B-1 for fiscal 2018, 2) revision of the Accounting Risk Management Policy, and 3) revision of the Debt Risk Management Policy. The full agenda package is available on the Portal. Contact: Jacob Williams
Joint-Action Solar Project
Members are asked to send their megawatt nominations for a share of FMPA’s joint-action solar project by Thursday. The project is intended to help members incorporate solar into their generation resource mix by developing a utility-scale solar project with maximum economies of scale that fits member needs. These solar nominations will help FMPA negotiate the terms and conditions of a Power Purchase Agreement. Nominations can be emailed to Frank Gaffney.
Vero Beach Meeting
Jacob Williams, Jody Finklea and Mark Larson will meet Friday with BBVA and SunTrust Robinson Humphrey to bring the banks up to date on the proposed sale of Vero Beach’s electric utility and discuss the banks’ role in the approval process.
Public Works Safety Meeting
Mike McCleary will be in Ocala on Friday to speak at the Public Works Department’s safety meeting on debris cleanup and recognizing safety hazards.
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 Oct. 15. Contact: Jim Atz
Special Dates
Congratulations to Mark McCain, who celebrates 31 years with FMPA on Friday, Oct. 20.
Congratulations to Liyuan Woeer, who celebrates nine years with FMPA on Friday, Oct. 20.
COMING UP
FMEA Energy Connections Conference
Friday is the pre-registration deadline for the Florida Municipal Electric Association’s (FMEA) Energy Connections Conference on Nov. 8-9 at the Renaissance World Golf Village Hotel in St. Augustine. Session topics include: 1) electronic bill pay options, 2) customer engagement solutions during critical power outages, 3) revolutionizing inspections: transmission line drone inspections and more. The cost to https://fs6.formsite.com/fmea/form621172793/index.html>
FEMA Public Assistance Grant Program Webinars
The American Public Power Association (APPA) will host two webinars on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance Grant Program. Through this series, attendees will lea about procurement requirements, how to avoid common mistakes that can lead to disallowance of funding, what to expect if you are targeted for an audit, and FEMA’s appeals process. The first webinar will be held Nov. 14 and the second will be held Nov. 28. The cost to register for the two-part series is $150 for APPA members. Visit APPA’s https://www.publicpower.org/event/group/procurement-recovery-understanding-fema-grant-process>
Meter Tech Roundtable
FMPA will hold a Meter Tech Roundtable on Nov. 29 in Jacksonville. The roundtable is a forum to discuss topics such as policies, procedures, equipment, technology, safety, training, apprentice programs and more. The roundtable will be hosted by JEA and includes a tour of JEA’s metering facilities. The event is open to anyone who has an interest in metering or meter-related topics. There is no cost to attend. https://fmpa.com/event/meter-tech-roundtable/>
Energy Auditors Roundtable
FMPA will hold an Energy Auditors Roundtable on Nov. 30 at Beaches Energy Services in Jacksonville Beach. This roundtable provides a forum for participants to discuss work procedures, policies and practices, industry changes, equipment and materials, site specific issues, and other topics of interest. Attendance is free and lunch will be provided. https://fmpa.com/event/energy-auditors-roundtable-4/>
INDUSTRY NEWS
The Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) met last Tuesday and approved two agreements related to Vero Beach. The first agreement terminates and settles Vero Beach’s power purchase agreement with OUC. As part of the settlement, Vero Beach will pay OUC $20 million for early termination of the contract. The second contract approved last week is a Substitute Power Supply Agreement between OUC and Florida Power and Light (FPL). Under this arrangement, FPL will purchase 85 MW of electricity from OUC for two years starting immediately upon the termination of Vero’s agreement with OUC. Both deals are contingent on closing the sale of Vero Beach’s electric utility to FPL.
Seminole Electric Cooperative announced plans Sept. 28 to retire one of two coal-fired generating units at its Seminole Generating Station within the next five years and construct a 1,050 MW natural gas-fueled unit by late-2022. The utility said the removal of the coal unit and the addition of a natural gas unit will reduced carbon emissions and diversify its energy sources. In addition to the new two-on-one combined cycle natural gas unit, Seminole plans to enter into power purchase agreements to add more solar energy to its resource mix.
Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA) announced last Tuesday the creation of an electrical lineworker scholarship. The scholarship will be awarded annually to fund a nine-month inteship at the utility for a high school graduate with a desire to work as a lineworker. The inte will work a minimum of 20 hours per week in a combined classroom and hands-on setting and can graduate from the program with a groundman certification. The scholarship is open to any graduating senior in good academic standing who lives in KUA’s service territory. Scholarship recipients are not required to work at KUA following their training, nor does the utility guarantee positions. The first scholarship will be awarded in spring 2018.
Two bills have been filed for the 2018 Florida legislative session that would ban hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking. Sen. Dana Young, R-Tampa, filed a bill (http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2018/00462>
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
Florida Municipal Power Agency
8553 Commodity Circle
Orlando, FL 32819-9002
Tel 407 355-7767
Fax 407 355-5794
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