FMPA celebrates lineworkers’ contributions by sponsoring annual competition prize

ORLANDO, Fla., April 2, 2012 – Electric utility lineworkers from Orlando and Lakeland won a trip to attend a national lineworkers’ competition in Cleveland, Ohio, courtesy of the Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA).

FMPA sponsors the top prize in the annual Florida Lineman Competition to honor Florida’s public power lineworkers and the outstanding service they provide to their communities.

“Reliable power is the lifeblood of our communities, and lineworkers work tirelessly to ensure that electricity is there come rain or shine,” said FMPA General Manager and CEO Nicholas Guarriello. “This annual competition is an opportunity to shine the spotlight on these unsung heroes of the public power community.”

The Florida Lineman Competition was held in Gainesville, Fla., on March 30 and March 31. During the event, lineworkers demonstrated skill, efficiency and safety by performing a variety of typical line work tasks. Judges selected Samuel Brown of Lakeland Electric as the top-rated apprentice, and the winning journeyman team from Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) included James Alexander, Richard Boley and Chris Hosier.

Brown will receive $750 and the OUC team will receive $3,000 to pay for travel expenses to the national Public Power Lineworkers Rodeo in Cleveland, Ohio, in April.

Sponsoring this annual prize is not the only way FMPA serves public power lineworkers. The Agency also offers a safety training program, lineman’s roundtable, and a distribution reliability measurement service.

“Reliable local service is part of what makes municipal utilities valuable, and FMPA is here to support the men and women who make it happen,” said Guarriello.

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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 two million Floridians.