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New Leadership to Take the Helm at Florida Municipal Electric Association

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The Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) today elected new officers to preside over the organization’s board of directors. Assuming leadership roles at FMEA are President Joel Ivy, general manager for Lakeland Electric; President-elect Mike Poucher, utility director for Ocala Electric Utility; Vice President Allen Putnam, managing director of Beaches Energy Services in Jacksonville Beach; and Secretary-Treasurer James Braddock, director of support services and internal auditing for the City of Wauchula. The elections took place at the association’s annual meeting in Palm Beach.

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Nicole Stookey Albers Joins FMEA as New Public Affairs Manager

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The Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) today announced Nicole Stookey Albers as the association’s new public affairs manager. In her role at FMEA, Albers will manage the association’s legislative affairs and social media.
“Having been a part of state government and the political process for nearly 15 years, Nicole brings a wealth of legislative and governmental affairs experience to FMEA,” said Amy Zubaly, FMEA Executive Director. “She will be a great asset to our members as we work to advance the legislative agenda of the association.”
Prior to joining FMEA, Albers was Deputy Director, Office of Legislative Planning at the Florida Department of Health. Previous roles include Deputy Director, Office of Legislative Affairs at the Florida Department of Children and Families and Executive Director of the Florida Children and Youth Cabinet. Additionally, she has held several positions within the Florida Department of Children and Families. Albers earned her Master of Science in Political Science, Applied American Politics and Policy, Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Bachelor of Science in Sport Management from Florida State University.
Originally called the Florida Municipal Utilities Association, FMEA was established in 1942 in response to World War II fuel shortages. 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.
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.

FMEA Statement on Hurricane Irma Preparation

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Statement by Amy Zubaly, Executive Director, Florida Municipal Electric Association, regarding Hurricane Irma preparation:
“Florida’s municipal electric utilities have been preparing for Hurricane Irma. We have been in touch with mutual aid partners across the country and are lining up resources to immediately assist affected Florida communities with power restoration.
We have also been in close communication with Gov. Rick Scott, who we commend for his assistance in helping us prepare and his tremendous leadership during this time of uncertainty.
As we get ready for the impacts of Hurricane Irma, we encourage Floridians to do the same. Get a plan and be prepared.”

FMEA Announces Annual Lineman Competition Winners

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Florida Linemen Recognized at the Florida Municipal Electric
Association 17th Annual Florida Lineman Competition

Lineworkers from across the state competed for top honors this past weekend at the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) 17th annual Florida Lineman Competition. A crowd of more than a thousand looked on as lineworkers put their skills to the test performing tasks they encounter in real-world scenarios. Tasks range from replacing cross arm beams to relocating transformers to rescuing an injured lineman. Competitors earn points for completing the tasks as quickly as possible and lose points if safety standards and proper work practices are not met. This year’s event was hosted by Lakeland Electric and held at Tigertown Complex in Lakeland.
More than 150 lineworkers participated, including teams and apprentices from Lakeland Electric, Keys Energy (Key West), Tallahassee, JEA (Jacksonville), Alachua, Lake Worth, Fort Pierce Utilities Authority, Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU), Orlando Utilities Commission, Beaches Energy (Jacksonville Beach), Kissimmee Utility Authority and Ocala, as well competitors from Talquin Electric Cooperative, Clay Electric Cooperative and Scottsburg, IN.
Journeymen, those have been in the industry for at least five years, competed in teams of three. Apprentices, or lineworkers in training, competed individually.
This year, the Overall Journeymen Team Winners Cup went to Terry Cobb, Nick Ellis and Jason Smith from the City of Tallahassee electric utility. Taking home the Overall Apprentice award was Mike Morgan of GRU.
“The annual lineman competition showcases the work lineworkers do on a daily basis and provide people with an opportunity to see linework in action,” said Amy Zubaly, FMEA Interim Executive Director. “We extend our congratulations to the winners and our deepest appreciation to all the lineworkers across the state who literally put their lives on the line every day. Their impact on their communities is profound as we recently witnessed following Hurricanes Hermine and Matthew. We thank them for their service.”
Established in 2001 by the FMEA, the Florida Lineman Competition brings together public power lineworkers from across the state to demonstrate their skill and knowledge in the craft of line work. At the competition, journeyman and apprentices compete for professional recognition, attend training courses and practice essential skills in a safe environment. The competition encourages safety awareness, teamwork and networking with other utilities.
For more information on FMEA and the Florida Lineman Competition, please visit www.publicpower.com. 
The Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) represents the unified interests of 34 public power communities across the state, which provide electricity to more than 3 million of Florida’s residential and business consumers.

FMEA assists with resources necessary to restore power to public power customers

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FMEA Assists with Resources Necessary to Restore Power to
Public Power Customers Affected by Severe Storms in Florida

As severe thunderstorms brought high winds, hail and significant rainfall to parts of Florida Saturday and Sunday, the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) assembled mutual aid crews from across the state to assist with power restoration in impacted areas.
Hardest hit was the City of Tallahassee, which experienced a peak outage of 30,000 municipal electric utility customers. Crews and service trucks from public power partners Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA), Ocala Electric Utility, Beaches Energy Services (Jacksonville Beach) and JEA were immediately sent to Tallahassee to assist with power restoration efforts. As of 1 p.m. today, approximately 6,300 City of Tallahassee electric utility consumers remain without power and power restoration efforts continue.
Other Florida municipal electric utilities affected by the weekend’s severe weather include:

  • Ocala Electric Utility
  • Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU)
  • City of Leesburg
  • City of New Smyrna Beach
  • Town of Havana
  • Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC)
  • JEA
  • Lakeland Electric
  • City of Starke
  • Keys Energy Services
  • City of Blountstown
  • City of Lake Worth

Overall, approximately 50,600 municipal electric utility customers experienced a power outage at some point over the weekend. All have been restored with the exception of the remaining 6,300 City of Tallahassee electric utility customers (as of 1 p.m. on Monday, January 23).
As crews continue to quickly and safely restore power, it is important for residents to remember that there is still danger even after a storm has moved out of the area. Downed power lines and trees pose the most significant threats. The FMEA reminds residents of these important safety precautions:

  • Never, ever touch a downed power line or go near one. Always assume the power line is live.
  • Do not touch anything or anyone in contact with a fallen power line or other equipment.
  • If a power line falls on your car, stay inside the vehicle and call for help.
  • Do not pull tree limbs off power lines. Leave those for utility crews to safely handle.
  • Avoid areas with debris and downed trees. There could be live power lines hidden inside.
  • Also avoid chain link fences and puddles that could have become electrified by downed power lines.

During emergency situations, members of FMEA partner through a Mutual Aid Agreement that enables member utilities to call on each other for emergency workers and supplies. Florida’s public power utilities benefit from this strong network of partners within Florida and across the country through the American Public Power Association. These dependable connections have created a reliable system where member utilities both request and offer assistance.
The Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) represents the unified interests of 34 public power communities across the state, which provide electricity to more than 3 million of Florida’s residential and business consumers.

Florida Municipal Electric Association Celebrates 75th Anniversary

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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.