Association has served as an advocate for affordable,
reliable public power for more than seven decades
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA), a trade association that represents the interests of Florida’s family of 34 public power communities located across the state. Members range in size from cities as large as Jacksonville, Orlando, Lakeland, Tallahassee and Gainesville to smaller towns, such as Havana, Clewiston and Bushnell.
Together, these community-owned electric utilities serve more than 3 million of Florida’s residential and business utility consumers. Collectively, they are the third largest source of power in the state.
“In the early 1940s, municipal electric utilities came together to form what was originally called the Florida Municipal Utilities Association based on a common need and common goal. They realized that together, they were stronger,” said Clay Lindstrom, FMEA President and Fort Pierce Utilities Authority General Manager. “That is still true today as we work together by sharing best practices and innovations that enable all of us to provide affordable, reliable power to the people in our communities.”
FMEA was established in 1942 in response to World War II fuel shortages. The association changed its name to the Florida Municipal Electric Association in 1988 and is now the official meeting place for Florida’s public power communities.
Today, the association actively represents and advocates for member cities’ interests on a wide variety of state and federal issues, provides education and training for members and serves as a clearinghouse for industry news and information. FMEA hosts four signature events throughout the year:
- FMEA Annual Conference, which brings top industry speakers, informative workshops and discussion groups together for utility managers and CEOs; city managers and directors; and local policy makers from Florida’s municipal utilities, investor-owned utilities and electric cooperatives.
- Energy Connections Conference & Trade Show, a two-day event delivering cutting edge information to members about improving their daily operations.
- The Florida Lineman Competition, an annual day-long event that pits utility lineman teams from all over the state against one another in competitions demonstrating their skills, knowledge and teamwork.
- FMEA Legislative Rally, an opportunity for FMEA members to meet in Tallahassee during Florida’s legislative session to discuss legislative proposals affecting public power communities.
FMEA also produces a monthly bill comparison report that includes information from investor-owned and municipal utilities. It compares utility bills for residential, commercial and industrial utility customers categorized by consumption in 15 categories. This information is available to the public on FMEA’s website.
“We’re proud of our history of service to our member cities and their residents, and we look forward to another 75 years of working together to bring community-based, public power into homes and businesses across the state,” said Amy Zubaly, FMEA Interim Executive Director.
Municipal electric utilities provide affordable, reliable electric service, and have been doing so for more than a century. As community-owned and locally managed organizations, these utilities are focused on serving local needs and interests while reinvesting back into the community for services, such as police and fire protection.
For more information on FMEA and Florida’s public power communities, please visit www.publicpower.com.
