Exceptional power plant operations help reduce FMPA’s electricity costs to 15-year low

ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 5, 2019 – Florida Municipal Power Agency’s (FMPA) major power plants outperformed industry averages for the eighth consecutive year, helping to reduce FMPA’s electricity costs to the lowest level in 15 years.

“I’m proud of the outstanding performance of our generation fleet, which keeps costs low for our customers,” said FMPA General Manager and CEO Jacob Williams. “This sustained, high-level performance has helped reduce our power costs by 32% since 2009. We’re now at our lowest cost since 2004. It’s great news for customers.”

Excellent power plant operation is key to providing low-cost, reliable electricity. FMPA’s most efficient generating units, which account for more than 80% of the power FMPA provides, were available 95% of the time during the 12-month period ending Sept. 30, 2019. This means the units were operational more than 346 days out of the year. The national average for similar units is 85%, or 310 days.

In addition, Cane Island Unit 3 completed an operating run that set a new record for FMPA’s generation fleet. The unit was taken offline last Saturday for planned maintenance, ending a run of 194 continuous days. This surpasses the unit’s previous record of 163 continuous days in 2005 and Treasure Coast Unit 1’s record of 175 days in 2013.

“I appreciate our team’s efforts to provide low-cost, reliable and clean power,” said Williams. “As incredible as this year’s performance was, we will not rest. When we excel at our mission, we positively impact the lives of millions of Floridians. This is what drives us every day.”