FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA staff
June 10, 2019
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LAST WEEK
Pole Line Hardware Bid
The Pole Line Hardware bid was awarded last week. The procurement process followed FEMA reimbursement requirements. The bid award is in effect through June 30, 2020. Contact: Sharon Samuels
Beaches Energy Board Appointments
Beaches Energy finalized changes to their representatives on the FMPA Board of Directors (BOD) and Executive Committee (EC) last Monday. George Forbes will be the Policy Makers Liaison Committee representative, and Mike Staffopoulos will represent Beaches Energy as the second alternate for the BOD and EC.
Distribution Reliability Roundtable
More than 20 individuals from 14 member cities attended the Distribution Reliability Roundtable last Wednesday. This year’s roundtable included discussions on Florida reliability trends, member distribution automatic projects, TripSaver deployment projects and the new FMPA SharePoint site for member reliability data. Contact: Cairo Vanegas
Process Improvement Team
The Process Improvement Team met last Thursday with the Leadership Team to share initial findings and discuss recommendations. A list of significant projects were reviewed and priority areas were identified. A few processes were agreed upon for possibly scaling back, and a few easy improvements were identified for quick wins. Additional plans need to be developed in each area, and more information will be shared at the next staff meeting. Meanwhile, much thanks to those on the team: Paige Arnett, Luis Cruz, Denise Fuentes, Konrad Lisiewicz, Mike McCleary, Richard Montgomery, Jamie Noon and Dan O’Hagan. Contact: Ken Rutter
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THIS WEEK
APPA National Conference
Jacob Williams and Susan Schumann attend the American Public Power Association’s (APPA) National Conference Monday through Wednesday in Austin, Texas. FMPA hosts a breakfast on Tuesday for conference attendees from Florida. Details on the breakfast were shared in a calendar invite from Ryan Dumas.
ARP Telephonic Rate Workshop
The ARP Executive Committee meets Tuesday at 2 p.m. via conference call for the monthly All-Requirements Project Rate Workshop. The agenda includes 1) natural gas markets update, 2) overview of May loads, 3) resource updates for May, and 4) review of May ARP rate calculation. Contact: Jason Wolfe
Low Impact Policy/Procedure Session
FMPA hosts a CIP Low Impact Policy and Procedure Peer Sharing and Review session on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at FMPA’s Orlando office to help members prepare for NERC Standard CIP 003-7. For those not able to attend in person, there will be a conference call option. Contact: Brandon McCormick
Member City Visits
Mike McCleary travels to Starke on Tuesday while Cairo Vanegas travels Tallahassee. On Thursday, Cairo travels to Lakeland for a member city visit.
Phase I Solar Committee Meetings
The Solar Participants Advisory Committee for the All-Requirements Project will hold a telephonic meeting on Thursday at 11 a.m., and the Solar Project Committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday at 3 p.m. via teleconference. The members will discuss updates to the Harmony and Poinsett site development. Contact: Susan Schumann
All-Requirements Project April Load Statistics
The All-Requirements Project’s non-Contract Rate of Delivery peak for April was 1,210 MW, which occurred May 28 between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. The project’s load factor for April was 63.34%. Load factor is a ratio of actual energy (MWh) used during the period versus what would have been consumed if demand was at peak for the entire period. A higher load factor indicates more effective system utilization and results in lower average costs. The monthly peak was 10% higher than the budgeted peak, and energy was 10.9% of the budget. A graph showing the All-Requirements Project hourly load for April is available on the Portal. Contact: Denise Fuentes
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COMING UP
Executive Committee Workshop
FMPA’s Executive Committee will hold a workshop June 19 at 2 p.m. in FMPA’s Orlando office, the day before the monthly Executive Committee meeting. The workshop will provide information to evaluate natural gas price volatility to ensure budget alignment, possibly at the member level for short-term and small percentages. This discussion item was raised earlier this year at the Executive Committee’s strategic planning session. Contact: Jacob Williams
FMPA Governing Board Meetings
FMPA’s governing board meetings are scheduled for June 20 in the Orlando office. The Board of Directors will meet at 8:30 a.m. and the Executive Committee will meet at 8:45 a.m., or immediately after the Board. Contact: Jacob Williams
Cybersecurity Summit in Orlando
The American Public Power Association (APPA) will host the 2019 Southeast Regional Municipal Cybersecurity Summit in Orlando July 10 – 11. The Summit will provide education on the tools, technologies and resources available to municipal utilities. The last day to register for a room at the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace and receive the APPA group rate is June 17. Contact: Carter Manucy
FMEA Annual Conference and FMPA Meetings
Time is running out to register for the Florida Municipal Electric Association’s (FMEA) Annual Conference on July 16-18 at Hyatt Coconut Point in Bonita Springs. As part of the conference, FMPA’s Board of Directors will meet July 17 at 8 a.m. followed by the Executive Committee. FMPA’s Policy Makers Liaisons Committee meets July 18 at 3 p.m. The conference also will include FMPA’s annual Board of Directors luncheon. Conference registration is available on FMEA’s website.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Duke Energy Florida Announces 22 Megawatts of Battery Storage
The utility announced three new battery projects Monday that, when complete, will be able to store 22 megawatts of power. These will be the first installments of a promised 50 megawatts of battery storage by 2022. In addition to improving reliability, the lithium batteries will help power critical services, such as hospitals, as well as small portions of regular customers’ homes. The battery projects will be located near existing Duke Energy facilities.
FPL and Consumer Advocate Reach Deal on Irma costs
Florida Power & Light (FPL) and the Florida Office of Public Counsel reached an agreement last Thursday to address questions surrounding $1.3 billion in FPL’s costs to restore electricity after Hurricane Irma. The deal was reached five days before a scheduled hearing at the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) to scrutinize FPL’s use of savings from a 2017 federal tax overhaul to cover Irma restoration costs. The Florida Retail Federation and the Florida Industrial Power Users Group, two business groups who questioned FPL’s costs, have not yet signed the agreement. The PSC is scheduled to review the case on Tuesday.
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FMPA Weekly is published by FMPA’s Public Relations Department for all employees of the Agency. Questions or comments about this newsletter may be directed to Melisa Inanc or Kenasia Lealie.
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 learn more.
Have a story idea for the newsletter? FMPA welcomes all employees’ story suggestions including updates on FMPA business, employees’ personal or family accomplishments, as well as industry news suggestions. Contact: Melisa Inanc or Kenasia Lealie
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Florida Municipal Power Agency
8553 Commodity Circle
Orlando, FL 32819-9002
Tel 407 355-7767
Fax 407 355-5794
www.fmpa.com
Community Power. Statewide Strength. ®
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