ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 24, 2006 – The Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA) announced plans to dedicate a new $30 million, high-efficiency power plant in Key West, Fla., that serves the electricity needs of the lower keys and other Florida cities.

The dedication ceremony will take place on Sept. 22 at the Stock Island Generating Facility, which houses the 42 MW low sulfur oil-fired combustion turbine. The new power plant is owned by FMPA and operated by Keys Energy Services (KEYS), the municipal electric utility serving Key West and the lower Florida Keys.

“This important achievement highlights the invaluable partnerships between FMPA and its member cities,” said FMPA General Manager and CEO Roger Fontes. “Our partnership with Keys Energy Services represents a significant part of FMPA’s approach to providing reliable, affordable power to our growing member communities.”

All construction goals were met for schedule, cost, quality and safety. The unit’s operational efficiency exceeds the manufacturer’s performance guarantee, and the entire project was completed within the $30.4 million budget.

The new plant enhances electric reliability for all of FMPA’s customers, especially residents of Key West.

Lynne Tejeda, KEYS General Manager and CEO, said, “This new unit is a tremendous asset in our area in providing peak demand power generation as well as back up power especially after a hurricane.”

Maintaining reliable electric service is a special challenge in Key West, which is connected to the mainland by a 120-mile high voltage transmission line. The tie-line gives KEYS access to low-cost power from FMPA’s statewide power resources, but it can be vulnerable to damage from severe weather.

When KEYS began purchasing all its wholesale power from FMPA in 1998, FMPA pledged to maintain on-island generation equivalent to 60% of KEYS customers’ electrical demand. On-island generation enables KEYS to continue serving most of its customers’ electricity needs, even if the tie-line is out of service.

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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 1.9 million Floridians. FMPA’s members include Alachua, Bartow, Blountstown, Bushnell, Chattahoochee, Clewiston, Fort Meade, Fort Pierce, Gainesville, Green Cove Springs, Havana, Homestead, Jacksonville Beach, Key West, Kissimmee, Lake Worth, Lakeland, Leesburg, Moore Haven, Mount Dora, New Smyrna Beach, Newberry, Ocala, Orlando, Quincy, St. Cloud, Starke, Vero Beach, Wauchula and Williston. Additional information is available on the Internet at www.fmpa.com.