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News
Releases
News
Release
FMPA
Dedicates New Power Plant in September
ORLANDO,
Fla., Aug. 24, 2006 – The Florida Municipal Power Agency
(FMPA) announced plans to dedicate a new $30 million, high-efficiency
power plant in Key West, Fla., that serves the electricity
needs of the lower keys and other Florida cities.
The
dedication ceremony will take place on Sept. 22 at the Stock
Island Generating Facility, which houses the 42 MW low sulfur
oil-fired combustion turbine. The new power plant is owned
by FMPA and operated by Keys Energy Services (KEYS), the municipal
electric utility serving Key West and the lower Florida Keys.
“This
important achievement highlights the invaluable partnerships
between FMPA and its member cities,” said FMPA General
Manager and CEO Roger Fontes. “Our partnership with
Keys Energy Services represents a significant part of FMPA’s
approach to providing reliable, affordable power to our growing
member communities.”
All
construction goals were met for schedule, cost, quality and
safety. The unit’s operational efficiency exceeds the
manufacturer’s performance guarantee, and the entire
project was completed within the $30.4 million budget.
The
new plant enhances electric reliability for all of FMPA’s
customers, especially residents of Key West.
Lynne
Tejeda, KEYS General Manager and CEO, said, “This new
unit is a tremendous asset in our area in providing peak demand
power generation as well as back up power especially after
a hurricane.”
Maintaining
reliable electric service is a special challenge in Key West,
which is connected to the mainland by a 120-mile high voltage
transmission line. The tie-line gives KEYS access to low-cost
power from FMPA’s statewide power resources, but it
can be vulnerable to damage from severe weather.
When
KEYS began purchasing all its wholesale power from FMPA in
1998, FMPA pledged to maintain on-island generation equivalent
to 60% of KEYS customers’ electrical demand. On-island
generation enables KEYS to continue serving most of its customers’
electricity needs, even if the tie-line is out of service.
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Florida
Municipal Power Agency (FMPA) is a wholesale power company
owned by 30 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 1.9 million Floridians. FMPA’s members
include Alachua, Bartow, Blountstown, 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
Assistant General Manager,
Public Relations and Human Resources
(407) 355-7767
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