Learn where electricity comes from and what utilities are doing to bring costs down

FORT PIERCE, Fla., Dec. 13, 2010 – Customers of Fort Pierce Utilities Authority (FPUA) can learn more about electric costs at a free public workshop on Dec. 13, 2010. The workshop will be held at Fort Pierce City Hall in the City Commission Chamber from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. and is open to all members of the public.

Representatives from FPUA’s wholesale electricity supplier, Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA), will describe how the city’s electricity is supplied through a partnership between 14 communities statewide, what FMPA’s member communities are doing to bring power costs down and what electric customers can do to lower their bills.

Where does electricity in Fort Pierce come from?

Fort Pierce is an owner of FMPA, a wholesale power agency created, owned and governed by the communities it serves. “Working together through FMPA enables municipal utilities of all sizes to be owners of an efficient, statewide power system,” said FMPA General Manager and CEO Nicholas Guarriello.

What is FMPA doing to lower costs?

Wholesale power supply accounts for approximately 50% to 75% of the monthly bill to retail electric customers, so FMPA and its member utilities, like FPUA, are working together to bring down wholesale costs.

“Becoming the lowest cost wholesale electricity provider in Florida is FMPA’s highest strategic priority, and we’re taking action to make that happen,” said Guarriello. “We are managing fuel costs with our new hedging policy, bringing in additional revenue to lower our cost of electricity, modernizing our power plant fleet with more efficient units, such as the Treasure Coast Energy Center in Fort Pierce, and analyzing our business model to achieve greater efficiencies.”

What can customers do to lower electric bills?

While FMPA and FPUA are working hard to bring costs down, customers can take action to lower their bills right away through energy conservation.

FPUA and FMPA have partnered to offer several energy conservation resources. For example, FPUA customers can go to the utility’s website to take an online home energy audit with customized advice for reducing their home’s energy usage. FPUA, with funding from FMPA’s conservation fund, is offering rebates for energy efficient appliances, and the utility has produced a series of 16 brief videos with energy conservation tips.

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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 2 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.