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Report: Natural Gas Hedging Protects Power Customers

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A new report from the Partnership for Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) explains that the practice of natural gas hedging is a critical instrument for protecting electricity customers over the long term. Natural gas has now surpassed coal as the most used fossil fuel for power generation, meaning that hedging against potential increases in the price of natural gas has become more important. 
Nationwide, electric utilities have continued to use natural gas hedging instruments as a way of stabilizing power prices over the long term and avoiding so-called ‘sticker shock’ for customers.
“Historically, hedging has allowed utilities to navigate the volatility of changing factors such as weather without creating constant sticker shock for their customers,” the report states. “Whether a mild winter and low electricity use combine to create a glut of natural gas, or whether a harsh winter drives up prices, utilities that combine hedging with smart forecasting are better able to stabilize their power prices.” 
In states like Florida, which is already number two in the nation in terms of natural gas use for electricity generation and poised to use even more natural gas in the coming years, hedging is an indispensable tool for utilities and regulators as they seek to shield customers from potential natural gas price spikes. Lawmakers in Florida are now considering Senate Bill 1238, legislation that would allow utilities to make investments in natural gas reserves as a form of hedging.
“Electricity customers everywhere, but especially those customers in Florida, remain vulnerable to swings in natural gas prices,” explains PACE Executive Director Lance Brown. “We hope that this report helps policymakers recognize the value of natural gas hedging and that they remain committed to long-term price stability for customers.” 
PACE is a not-for-profit organization that advocates for fair and sensible energy policy, representing energy users nationwide. Learn more at EnergyFairness.org.

Reminder: US 41 at Gulfstream Avenue Public Meeting Scheduled

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The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), District One, is hosting a public information meeting as part of the Project Development and Environment (PD&E) study to evaluate improvements to the intersection at US 41 and Gulfstream Avenue in the City of Sarasota. The meeting will be Tuesday, March 28, 2017 at the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, 801 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Florida. 

The meeting will be an open house format from 5 pm – 7 pm where people can ask questions and provide comments to FDOT representatives in a one-on-one setting. Written comments will be accepted. FDOT will show a video running on a continuous loop that describes the alternatives developed during the PD&E study.   

FDOT is sending notices to property owners located within at least 300 feet of the intersection, including residents along Sunset Drive and Golden Gate Point. We encourage all interested people to attend and express their views regarding the project and information presented.  

FDOT solicits public participation without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, or family status. People who require special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or who require translation services (free of charge) should contact FDOT project manager Joshua Jester at 863-519-2251 or by email at [email protected] at least seven days prior to the public meeting.

FHCA: Managed Care Exemption Will Save Taxpayers Millions, Not Carry High Cost Projected by State

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The Florida Health Care Association today rejected figures developed by the state that suggest a proposal to remove skilled nursing centers from managed care would carry an extreme cost. The state’s calculations are seriously flawed, FHCA told a Senate committee, and instead of the $200 million cost identified by the state, the carve-out would actually save taxpayers $68.2 million per year. 

The state Agency for Health Care Administration has shared its estimate of the impact of excluding nursing centers from the managed long term care component of the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care system. However, FHCA told members of the Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee that the state agency’s numbers were based on incorrect assumptions.

Tom Parker, FHCA’s Director of Reimbursement, testified that the state figures are based on an assumption of what it would cost the state IF individuals who received home- and community-based services during certain times had instead been cared for in a nursing center. “But that’s not how the system works, and it’s not what this bill does,” Parker said. “Rather, this bill focuses solely on exempting long-stay nursing center residents. There are no savings to be realized for these individuals, because their health and medical needs can only be addressed in a nursing center. They cannot be safely cared for in a home or a community setting.” 

Florida’s system of managed care does not work effectively for long-stay nursing center residents who can’t take care of themselves or be safely cared for in the community. Parker cited data previously announced by FHCA showing that the system is costing taxpayers approximately $68.2 million in unnecessary fees each year by charging for management services that are not needed. 

More than 47,000 Floridians live in nursing centers and are enrolled in the long term managed care program, a 25 percent increase since 2014. Parker said managed care ensures that only those who truly need nursing home care are admitted into nursing centers – but that amounts to less than 2 percent of Florida seniors over the age of 65, well below the national average is 5 percent.

“Florida is doing a much better job than other states and the nation at ensuring seniors are receiving care in the most appropriate place and the least restrictive setting,” Parker told senators. 

Managed care does not work well, however, for long term stay residents, those who are in nursing homes for more than 60 days. Parker pointed to state data showing that managed care companies transition only about 4 percent of the nursing home Medicaid population into community care, leaving the remaining 96 percent continuing to receive their care in skilled nursing centers. 

“For those individuals, we believe that the state and the nursing home can save money if they returned to a straight fee for service,” Parker said. “Florida has a long-standing commitment to help elders stay in their homes or community settings for as long as possible. But we must also recognize that for more and more of the frailest residents, a nursing home is the best – and perhaps only – realistic option.”

Additional FHCA witness reinforced the benefits to both residents and the nursing centers from excluding them from the managed care system

For more information about Florida Health Care Association and their legislative initiative to exempt long-stay nursing residents from Florida’s Medicaid Managed Care System, visit http://tinyurl.com/FHCAMgdCare17.

Children’s Advocates Honor Carol J. Barnett at Children’s Week Awards Dinner

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Children's Week
Longtime children’s advocate Carol Jenkins Barnett will be presented with the state’s top award for service on behalf of Florida’s youth at the Children’s Week Awards Dinner in Tallahassee as part of Children’s Week festivities. Named in honor of former Governor and First Lady Lawton and Rhea Chiles’ who spent decades of commitment to public service benefiting Florida’s children and their families, every year since 1999 Children’s Week organizers present the Chiles Advocacy Award to a deserving Floridian who exemplifies integrity, dedication and commitment to improving the lives of Florida’s children and their families and who has successfully engaged others to promote policies and programs benefiting them.
This year, the 2017 Chiles Advocacy Award recipient is Barnett, who will be presented with the award on Monday, March 27 at 6 p.m. during the Children’s Week Awards Dinner and Reception at the University Center Club at Florida State University.
Throughout her more than 30 years of public service, Barnett’s work in children’s advocacy has set the standard for others to follow. She served as a board member of Florida Council on Economic Education for nine years and is a current board member of The Children’s Movement of Florida. In addition, as president of Publix Super Markets Charities, she has been instrumental in targeting hundreds of millions of dollars to nonprofit organizations that support healthy child development.
Barnett has been a member of the board of directors for Publix Super Markets; served as vice chair of the Florida Partnership for School Readiness; was a founding board member of the Community Foundation of Greater Lakeland; and has been co-chair of the United Way of Central Florida Leadership Committee. She has received numerous awards, including the Polk County Schools Hall of Fame Award, George Williams Society Award and the Girls, Inc.-Outstanding Service to Youth award. In 2016, Barnett was inducted into the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame for her extraordinary service.
“Carol’s commitment to improving the quality of life for Florida’s children and their families embodies the spirit of all that Children’s Week stands for. Her work has provided an untold number of children the opportunity to reach their full potential in life. She has set the standard to which all children’s advocates aspire,” said United Way of Florida President and Children’s Week Chair Ted Granger.

For more information about Children’s Week events and the Awards Dinner, please visit www.childrensweek.org. 

Sen. Bill Nelson announces he will vote "no" on Gorsuch

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U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) announced today that he will vote “no” on Judge Gorsuch’s nomination to the Supreme Court.
“Deciding whether to confirm a president’s nominee for the highest court in the land is a responsibility I take very seriously,” Nelson said. “Over the past few weeks, I have met with Judge Gorsuch, listened to the Judiciary Committee’s hearings and reviewed his record with an open mind. I have real concerns with his thinking on protecting the right to vote and allowing unlimited money in political campaigns. In addition, the judge has consistently sided with corporations over employees, as in the case of a freezing truck driver who, contrary to common sense, Judge Gorsuch would have allowed to be fired for abandoning his disabled rig during extreme weather conditions.
“I will vote no on the motion to invoke cloture and, if that succeeds, I will vote no on his confirmation.”

UT Speech Program Speaker Series Continues March 30 with Equality Florida CEO Nadine Smith

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The University of Tampa Speech Program Speaker Series continues on Thursday, March 30, with Nadine Smith, CEO of Equality Florida. The event begins at 2 p.m. in the Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values and is free and open to the public.
Smith is the co-founder and CEO of Equality Florida, the state’s largest organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. A former award-winning journalist turned organizer, Smith was a national co-chair of the 1993 March on Washington and part of the historic Oval Office meeting with President Bill Clinton, the first such meeting between a sitting president and gay community leaders.
This year’s series will conclude on Thursday, April 20, with Michael Farmer, statewide deputy director of development for Equality Florida. Since 2012, Farmer and his teams across the state have raised more than $2 million for LGBT equality in Florida. In 2012, he was nominated as one of The Advocate’s “40 under 40” activists in the nation, and he was recently recognized by Congressman Alan Grayson as one of the top 50 LGBT leaders in Florida.
The series is sponsored by UT’s Center for Public Speaking and the speech program, who have partnered this year with Equality Florida to bring talented speakers from throughout the state to the University.
For more information, contact Chris Gurrie, speech program coordinator and assistant professor of speech, at (813) 257-1711 or [email protected].
The University of Tampa is a private, residential university located on 110 acres on the riverfront in downtown Tampa. Known for academic excellence, personal attention and real-world experience in its undergraduate and graduate programs, the University serves 8,310 students from 50 states and 140 countries. Approximately 65 percent of full-time students live on campus, and more than half of UT students are from Florida.

Gov. Rick Scott Hosts Zika Preparedness Roundtable

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Governor Rick Scott today hosted a roundtable with community leaders in Miami on Zika preparedness ahead of the rainy season when mosquitos are most prevalent in Florida.
Governor Scott said, “Florida has only had two isolated cases of local Zika transmission this year and there are not currently any identified areas with active Zika transmission, which is good news. However, it is crucial that we continue to work together to remain vigilant and take precautions to stay ahead of this virus. That is why I hosted a Zika preparedness roundtable in Miami today with the Florida Department of Health to make sure the South Florida community is taking action now in advance of the upcoming rainy season.
“I urge all Floridians to remember to eliminate any standing water around your homes, businesses and communities, and to wear bug spray to prevent mosquito bites. It is also important to protect yourself if you travel outside of Florida to an area with Zika virus. Last year, our aggressive actions helped lift the previous Zika zones in Wynwood, Little River and Miami Beach. This year, we stand ready to once again do all we can to protect Florida’s families, visitors and communities.”
More information on the Zika virus and preparedness actions can be found HERE.
Florida Department of Health’s Zika Virus Hotline: 1-855-622-6735

Seminole State Speaker Series to feature world-renowned astrophysicist

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The Seminole State College of Florida Speaker Series will host world-renowned astrophysicist, Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi, as he presents the topic, “Reach for the Stars, No Matter What the Odds.” This free event will be held on Wednesday, April 5, from 7 – 9 p.m. in the Fine Arts Concert Hall (building G) at the College’s Sanford/Lake Mary Campus.
Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi, a regular on Discovery Network, Science Channel and National Geographic, is a world-renowned astrophysicist, teacher, inventor and humanitarian. He grew up in impoverished Mississippi and the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans with many of his “role models” involved in the worlds of drugs and crime. Nicknamed “The Gangsta Nerd” many years ago, Dr. Oluseyi embraces this identity as it speaks to his past, present and future, as someone who believes in the power of passion and dreams.
Currently, Dr. Oluseyi has five degrees, 80 publications including books, scientific and technology publications, more than 11 patents and has received several fellowships, honors and awards.
Dr. Oluseyi’s mission is to pass on knowledge, process and results to the next generation, along the way dispelling the myth of what it takes to be a scientist. In his presentation, he will share his story and his exciting work with the 100 Year Starship Project to help lay the groundwork for the first human mission to a nearby planetary system.
Seating for this free event is first come, first served. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. A Q&A period, reception and a special telescope viewing will immediately follow.
Seminole State’s Speaker Series is co-sponsored by CFE Federal Credit Union. For more information, please visit the Speaker Series website. For a full list of events at Seminole State, please visit the Newsroom calendar.
Related Event: Telescope Viewing
Following Dr. Oluseyi’s presentation, guests are invited to step outside and experience the fascinating world of astronomy while viewing the wonders of the night sky through the planetarium’s telescopes. Weather permitting, enjoy the view from the lawn between buildings G and C. This event is hosted by the Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust Planetarium at Seminole State College of Florida. For more information on the Buehler Planetarium, visit the planetarium website.

Richard Turner, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association: Regarding the passage of Senate Bill 106

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fffbp-floridians-for-fair-business-practices

Statement by Richard Turner, General Counsel and Vice President of Government Relations, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association

Regarding the passage of Senate Bill 106

“The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association would like to thank members of the Florida Senate for passing Senate Bill 106 last week. Their vote to repeal the antiquated Alcohol Separation Law is a step in the right direction for both Florida retailers and consumers. There are far too many beverage laws that no longer align with the realities of today’s society, and it’s time to reduce governmental regulations and allow businesses to meet their customers’ evolving needs.
FRLA is proud to stand with the Floridians for Fair Business Practices coalition, and we are pleased to support the advancement of Florida businesses through this legislation. We encourage Representatives to finally get this Prohibition-era law off the books by passing House Bill 81.”
Floridians for Fair Business Practices is a coalition of retailers and business groups whose purpose is to identify rules and regulations, which prohibit the growth and expansion of Florida businesses. For additional information, please visit www.FairBizinFlorida.com.

FWC documents panther kittens north of Caloosahatchee River

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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has verified the presence of at least two panther kittens north of the Caloosahatchee River in southwest Florida. These kittens are presumed to be the offspring of the first wild female panther documented north of the river since 1973.
“This is good news for Florida panther conservation,” said Kipp Frohlich, deputy director for the FWC’s Division of Habitat and Species Conservation. “Until now, we only had evidence of panthers breeding south of the Caloosahatchee. These pictures of a female with kittens indicate there are now panthers breeding north of the river.”
Using trail cameras, biologists have monitored male panthers on various public and private lands north of the Caloosahatchee River for several years. In 2015, biologists collected a photo of what appeared to be a female panther in the FWC’s Babcock Ranch Preserve Wildlife Management Area in Charlotte County. They deployed additional cameras in the summer of 2016, and captured more images of what they believed to be a female panther.
“Early this year, the cameras captured images of a female that appeared to be nursing,” said Darrell Land, FWC panther team leader. “For many years, the Caloosahatchee River has appeared to be a major obstacle to northward movement of female panthers. This verification of kittens with the female demonstrates panthers can expand their breeding territory across the river naturally.”
“This is a major milestone on the road to recovery for the Florida panther,” said FWC Chairman Brian Yablonski. “We are mindful and appreciative of all the many partners and cooperators who have supported panther conservation efforts over the years leading to meaningful moments like this.”
The FWC works closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to ensure panther conservation on both private and public lands. Staff also work to continue building support and cooperation among private landowners who maintain working landscapes and ranches that provide important habitat for panthers.
“This is good news for panther recovery, and the Service is committed to working with landowners to make panthers and private land ownership compatible,” said Larry Williams, State Supervisor of Ecological Services for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Florida residents can support panther conservation efforts by purchasing a “Protect the Panther” license plate at BuyaPlate.com. Fees from license plate sales are the primary funding source for the FWC’s research and management of Florida panthers. These funds contributed to the successful documentation of this important panther conservation milestone.
You can help with panther research by reporting panther sightings, and uploading photos and videos to the FWC at MyFWC.com/PantherSightings.
For information about Florida panthers, including tips on how to safely coexist with them, visit MyFWC.com/Panther.