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FMPA
Copes with Hurricane Katrina’s Impact, but Power Conservation
is Encouraged
ORLANDO,
Fla., Sept. 1, 2005 – Florida Municipal Power Agency
continues to meet customers’ power needs, despite Hurricane
Katrina’s disruption of the production of natural gas,
a common fuel for power plants, but power conservation continues
to be strongly encouraged for all electric customers statewide.
FMPA
is a wholesale power company owned by municipal electric utilities
in Florida. FMPA provides all the wholesale power needs of
the cities of Bushnell, Clewiston, Fort Meade, Fort Pierce,
Green Cove Springs, Havana, Jacksonville Beach, Key West,
Kissimmee, Lake Worth, Leesburg, Newberry, Ocala, Starke and
Vero Beach.
Hurricane
Katrina has shut down many of the natural gas production facilities
in the Gulf of Mexico, decreasing the supply of natural gas
fuel to electric utilities throughout Florida. At this time
it is difficult to assess when natural gas supply levels will
return to normal.
Approximately
30% to 35% of electricity statewide comes from natural gas-fueled
power plants. FMPA and two other municipal utilities, Lakeland
Electric and Orlando Utilities Commission, are working together
to use this limited fuel supply in the most efficient manner
possible.
FMPA
expects to continue fully serving its customers’ power
needs, assuming that power plants statewide continue to operate
reliably. However, due to the limited availability of back-up
power, also known as reserve power, statewide, customers of
all Florida’s electric utilities are being asked to
conserve electricity.
Customers
can reduce their power use by taking the following steps:
-
Adjust thermostat settings for air conditioning to 78 degrees
Fahrenheit or higher, if health permits; keep temperature
readings constant until notified that the energy shortage
has passed.
-
Close curtains and blinds to help insulate homes and buildings
against cooling loss.
-
Avoid using room air conditioners; turn them off when you
leave the room or home.
-
Turn off electric water heaters at the circuit breaker.
-
Reduce use of all non-essential electric appliances, such
as dishwashers and clothes dryers, especially during the
late afternoon or early evening.
-
Turn off all non-essential lighting and electric appliances,
such as pool pumps.
-
Turn off lights when you leave a room or when they aren't
needed.
-
Keep cooking and bathing to a minimum, especially during
the late afternoon and early evening hours.
- Leave
refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.
- Cook
outdoors, use a microwave oven or prepare cold meals to
avoid heating up the kitchen and adding moisture to the
air. Microwaves use less than half the power of a conventional
oven and cook food in about one-fourth the time.
-
For cooking, use small appliances like a toaster oven or
electric skillet. On average, they use half the energy of
a full-size oven.
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Florida
Municipal Power Agency (FMPA) is a wholesale power company
owned by 29 municipal electric utilities. FMPA provides economies
of scale in power generation and related services to support
community-owned electric utilities. The members of FMPA serve
approximately 1.8 million Floridians. FMPA’s members
include Alachua, Bartow, Bushnell, Chattahoochee, Clewiston,
Fort Meade, Fort Pierce, Gainesville, Green Cove Springs,
Havana, Homestead, Jacksonville Beach, Key West, Kissimmee,
Lake Worth, Lakeland, Leesburg, Moore Haven, Mount Dora, New
Smyrna Beach, Newberry, Ocala, Orlando, Quincy, St. Cloud,
Starke, Vero Beach, Wauchula and Williston. Additional information
is available on the Internet at www.fmpa.com.
FMPA
Contact:
Mark McCain
Public Relations/Public Affairs Manager
407 355-7767
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