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FMPA & FMEA Agency Affiliations
Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA)
In the face of mounting competitive pressure during the 1970s, municipal electric utilities around the United States began forming regional "joint action agencies" that allowed individual utilities to participate collectively in power pools, to buy wholesale power in a group and to jointly finance generating plants. In the summer of 1977, an organizational committee was formed to establish the structure of a joint action agency in Florida. Less than a year later, FMPA held its initial meeting on February 24, 1978. Twenty-three cities attended. With little competition among wholesale power suppliers, municipal utilities began to look for wholesale power supply alternatives. They turned to FMPA to become an all-requirements power supplier for member cities that purchased all their wholesale power needs from private power companies. Bushnell, one of the smallest municipal electric utilities in Florida, was the first to sign with FMPA, followed by Green Cove Springs, Jacksonville Beach, Leesburg and Ocala. The project began serving all the power needs for those five members on May 1, 1986. All requirements have grown into FMPA's largest power supply project, serving 14 members today.
Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA)
The Florida Municipal Electric Association represents the unified interests of 34 public power communities across Florida. FMEA was established in 1942 in response to WWII fuel shortages and is now the official meeting place for Florida's public power community. Municipal electric utilities provide low-cost, reliable electric service, and have been doing so for over a century.
In addition to municipal electric utility members, FMEA has three other membership categories: Associate member companies, public agencies, and affiliates. Together, FMEA staff and utility members work to protect public power's legislative, regulatory and operational interests, and to strengthen our common bonds for the benefit of Florida's communities.
Public power utilities play an important role in Florida's electric industry:
- Serve 15% of the state's population - 3.0 million Floridians
- Provide an industry-wide yardstick for efficient operation and superior service
- Promote increased wholesale competition to lower consumer power costs, and have been at the forefront of efforts to improve wholesale transmission access
- Are community-owned and locally managed, and
- Support local government with transfer payments, which help communities pay for fire and police protection and other important local services.
FMEA provides its members with government relations, communications and education services. The association is at the forefront of energy industry trends, and advances public power utilities toward enhancing services and continually innovating in all aspects of utility operations.