FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
Oct. 7, 2019
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LAST WEEK
Year-End Inventory at TCEC
Louis DeSimone performed a test count at Treasure Coast Energy Center (TCEC) last Monday to verify the completeness of the year-end inventory. No adjustments were deemed necessary. Special thanks to Alice Ladomirak and Bill Anderson of Fort Pierce Utilities Authority for their support. Contact: Liyuan Woerner
Substation and Generating Station Maintenance ITB
Six responses were received last week in response to FMPA’s invitation to bid (ITB) for substation and generating station maintenance services. The bids are currently under evaluation. Contact: Sharon Samuels
Joint Solar Committee Meeting
The Florida Municipal Solar Project Committee and the ARP Solar Project Advisory Committee met last Friday via teleconference and reviewed potential alternatives to the Poinsett site. Contact: Susan Schumann
All-Requirements Project September Load Statistics
The All-Requirements Project’s peak demand for September was 1,250 MW, which occurred Sept. 9 between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. The project’s load factor for September was 63.8%. The 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 total energy consumption was 5.4% higher than the budget, and the monthly peak was 9.5% higher than the budgeted peak. A graph showing the All-Requirements Project hourly load for September is available on the Portal. Contact: Jason Wolfe
Cane Island Intercession City Line Upgrade
FMPA’s Engineering team held a kick-off meeting with Duke Energy Florida (DEF) and Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA) last week to start a transmission line capacity upgrade project. The line upgrade will relieve transmission congestion attributed to DEF’s Osprey Power Plant purchase. Engineering and construction are expected to take two years. Contact: Carl Turner
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THIS WEEK
Public Power Week
Municipal electric utilities across the nation celebrate Public Power Week this week to share the value of public power with their communities. Follow FMPA on Facebook and Twitter to see how our members are celebrating the annual event. Contact: Mark McCain
Cane Island Visit
Jacob Williams, Ken Rutter, David Schumann and Tim Jackson travel to Cane Island on Tuesday to celebrate plant performance for fiscal 2019 that achieved goals in the areas of low-cost power, reliability, safety and regulatory compliance. FMPA will also visit power plant staff at Treasure Coast and Stock Island in the next couple months to show appreciation.
Communicators Roundtable
Ryan Dumas, Melisa Inanc and Mark McCain attend Florida Municipal Electric Association’s Florida Public Power Communicators Roundtable on Tuesday in Kissimmee. Communicators from municipal utilities will discuss topics including: 1) communicating the benefits of public power, 2) engaging elected officials in telling the public power story, 3) storm communication resources, 4) Hurricane Dorian recap, 5) electric deregulation ballot initiative and more.
FMEA Energy Connections Conference and Trade Show
Several FMPA staff attend the Florida Municipal Electric Association’s Energy Connections Conference and Trade Show on Wednesday and Thursday in Kissimmee. Luis Cruz presents on the “Top 20 Critical Security Controls” on Wednesday and presides over the breakout technology forums throughout the conference. Mike McCleary presents a session on Wednesday titled “Deadline or Dead,” which shares the importance of safety and discusses how to create a safety culture while maintaining reliability. On Thursday, Isaac Barbosa presents on “Phishing and Social Engineering.”
Member City Visits
Jacob Williams travels to Havana and Tallahassee on Wednesday for member city visits. Jacob travels to Chattahoochee and Newberry on Thursday. On Friday, Cairo Vanegas travels to Fort Pierce.
FMPP Load Shed Exercise
The Florida Municipal Power Pool (FMPP) conducts a load shed exercise on Thursday to reinforce communication protocols and expected actions in the event load shedding is necessary. Operator-controlled load shedding is a last-resort method for mitigating emergencies on the system. If necessary within the FMPP Balancing Authority (BA) area, the FMPP System Operator will require specific actions of Pool members to bring the FMPP BA within established limits. Contact: Chris Gowder
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. 6. Contact: Jason Wolfe
Special Dates
Congratulations to Jody Finklea, who celebrates 18 years with FMPA on Tuesday, Oct. 8.
Congratulations to Jaye Godin, who celebrates seven years with FMPA on Tuesday, Oct. 8.
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COMING UP
Solar Project Phase II Workshop
FMPA holds a Solar Project Phase II telephonic workshop Oct. 16 at 9:30 a.m. Contact: Susan Schumann
Finance Committee
FMPA’s Finance Committee meets Oct. 16 at noon in FMPA’s Orlando office. Contact: Linda Howard
PMLC Meeting and Solar Tour
FMPA’s Policy Makers Liaisons Committee meets Oct. 16 at 2 p.m. After the meeting, the Committee will tour Reedy Creek Improvement District’s Citrus Ridge Solar Facility, which is owned and operated by Origis Energy. The meeting and tour are open to all FMPA members. A dinner is planned after the tour. FMPA needs an accurate RSVP count for the tour and dinner reservation. Interested members can contact Sue Utley to RSVP.
Governing Boards
FMPA’s governing boards meet Oct. 17 at FMPA’s Orlando office. The Board of Directors will meet at 8:30 a.m., and the Executive Committee will meet immediately following the Board. Contact: Jacob Williams
FAASSTeR Project Team
The Florida Alliance for Accelerating Solar and Storage Technology Readiness (FAASSTeR) initiative meets Nov. 18-20 at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront for a project team meeting and workshop. There will also be a stakeholder seminar Nov. 19-20 in Jacksonville. The workshop will provide opportunities to share results, gather input, have team discussions and plan future activities. The stakeholder seminar will include an update on activities and results associated with the FAASSTeR initiative, updates from Florida utilities on projects related to solar and energy storage, and opportunities for discussion. There is no cost to register for FAASSTeR project team members or FMEA municipal members. Contact: Ann Beckwith
Purchasing Roundtable
Registration is open for FMPA’s Purchasing Roundtable on Dec. 5 at FMPA’s Orlando office. The event provides a forum for purchasing personnel to meet with their peers from other member utilities to discuss procedures, policies, practices, industry changes and other topics of interest. Registration is free, and lunch will be provided. Contact: Sharon Samuels
Substation Training
FMPA’s Substation Training series continues Dec. 9-10 at OUC’s Engineering Building with a course on confined space hazard mitigation. Courses are designed to provide participants with in-depth instruction on substation-related topics and are tailored to the specific equipment of the participating utilities, where possible. Registration is $900 for the two-day session, and lunch will be provided. Contact: Sharon Samuels
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Proposes Sustainable Energy Legislation
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried introduced a sustainable energy legislative package at a news conference last Thursday following the 2019 Florida Energy & Climate Summit in Tampa. The package calls for an expansion of solar power, improvements to energy storage grids and a study of energy efficiency for all state facilities. Fried also asked for funding to study the impact of energy efficiency in low-income communities and how infrastructure improvements affect energy storage abilities. In addition, she announced the creation of the Florida Advisory Council on Climate and Energy, which would study bridge storage technology in the state.
PSC Approves New Rules for Funding Storm-Hardening Projects
The Florida Public Service Commission approved new rules last Thursday to facilitate the financing and expansion of underground power lines and other storm-hardening projects. Under a new law passed during the last legislative session, investor-owned utilities (IOU) will be able to seek approval from the commission to recover costs for these projects. In the past, such projects were financed through base rates. IOUs will file 10-year plans with the commission about storm protection plans. The proposed rules drew debate last week about the level of detail utilities should provide on projects during the first three years and whether utilities should be able to recover projected project costs or wait until work is done. Commission staff recommended detailed information for all three years, but utilities contended such details should only be required for first-year projects. The commission sided with utilities on the level of detail. On the second issue, the commission agreed with staff’s recommendation to allow collection of projected costs subject to a true-up process.
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FMPA Weekly is published by FMPA for employees and governing boards of FMPA member utilities. Questions or comments about this newsletter may be directed to Melisa Inanc or Rachel Ilardi 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 learn more.
Have a question, comment or story idea for the newsletter? FMPA welcomes your feedback at any time. Contact: Melisa Inanc or Rachel Ilardi
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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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