News Releases

FMPA to Dedicate $273 Million Power Plant in Fort Pierce
U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney to deliver keynote address

ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 11, 2008 – The Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA) hosts a dedication ceremony Thursday, Aug. 14 for a new, $273 million, natural gas-fueled electrical power plant in St. Lucie County, Fla., near the city of Fort Pierce.

Construction of Treasure Coast Energy Center was completed in late-spring, and commercial operation began May 31, 2008. The 300 megawatt power plant generates enough electricity to serve approximately 60,000 homes in the 15 cities served by FMPA’s All-Requirements Project. Members of the project include area cities of Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Lake Worth and Clewiston, as well as Bushnell, Fort Meade, Green Cove Springs, Havana, Jacksonville Beach, Key West, Kissimmee, Leesburg, Newberry, Ocala and Starke.

“The dedication of this unit is a landmark achievement that caps four years of hard work, planning, licensing and constructing the unit,” said FMPA General Manager and CEO Roger Fontes. “The Treasure Coast Energy Center has been a great success. It exemplifies our commitment to provide reliable, fuel efficient and environmentally friendly electricity to our customers throughout Florida.”

U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney will deliver the keynote address at the dedication ceremony, which will focus on the recent energy crisis.

Speakers at the dedication also include Fort Pierce Mayor Robert Benton, FMPA Board Chairman James Welsh of Kissimmee Utility Authority, Fort Pierce Utilities Authority Director William Thiess, FMPA Executive Committee Chairman Thomas Richards of Fort Pierce Utilities Authority, and FMPA General Manager and CEO Roger Fontes.

Environmentally Responsible
Treasure Coast Energy Center incorporates advanced environmental control technologies, which make the plant one of the lowest emission and highest efficiency plants in Florida. Clean-burning natural gas is the largest component of FMPA’s existing fleet of generation. Natural gas, the cleanest fossil fuel and the plant’s primary fuel, reduces overall emission levels and helps the environment remain clean and healthy.

Modernizing Our Fleet of Generation
Like cars, some power plants use fuel more efficiently than others. And like cars, modernizing a fleet of power generating resources increases fuel efficiency. Treasure Coast Energy Center generates power 40 percent more efficiently than the generation it replaces, which included older units at the H.D. King Plant in Fort Pierce. This means the new plant uses less fuel, creates fewer emissions per kilowatt hour and generates more power than older, less efficient units.

The dedication ceremony will take place Thursday, Aug. 14 at 11 a.m. at the Treasure Coast Energy Center. The ceremony is open to representatives of FMPA member cities, local dignitaries, invited guests and the media.

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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 2 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
(407) 355-7767