2023 FMEA Annual Conference

 Tentative Agenda

 Registration Desk Open

 Pre-conference Seminar (separate registration required)

• Maximizing Federal Funding Opportunities for Public Power, Joel Laubenstein, Dan LaHaye, Brooke Opel, Miranda Wojciechowski, Baker Tilly

  • The past year and a half have seen two pieces of legislation signed into a law—the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—that provide historic opportunities for public power to upgrade, modernize, and innovate electric, gas, water, and telecommunications infrastructure.

    Join Baker Tilly for a workshop on how utilities can maximize the federal funding opportunities announced through the IIJA and IRA. The workshop will include an overview of the IIJA legislation, updates on what we have learned in the first year of the bill, and current and future grant opportunities of particular interest. The workshop will also help breakdown the IRA overall and key areas of interest for public power with a focus on direct pay tax credit provisions, tax credit “adders,” and other competitive funding opportunities embedded within the Act. Finally, the Baker Tilly team will provide best practices for grant writing, so you are better prepared to take advantage of the federal funding being made available to public power.

 Registration Desk Open

 General Session

• WATT is F-ROC? How to Unleash the Power of F-ROC and AMP Up Your Public Assistance Game, Kevin Guthrie, Director, Florida Division of Emergency Management

  The FEMA Public Assistance reimbursement process is getting a little help from the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Director Kevin Guthrie will examine the Florida Recovery Obligation Calculation Program (F-ROC) from a municipal electric perspective and provide an overview of updates, tools, and forms Public Assistance applicants can use in the event of a disaster in the State of Florida. In this session, you will learn more about the Florida Recovery Obligation Calculation (F-ROC) Program and determine if participation is right for you, examine what is needed to effectively implement the Florida Recovery Obligation Calculation (F-ROC), and understand the opt-in decision-making process to participate in F-ROC.

• The (Pricing) Future of Natural Gas and Other Fuels, Mike Gehring, Director, Portfolio Management & Analytics, The Energy Authority
• What’s Old is New Again: The Case for Renewables and Nuclear Energy, JEA

 Registration Desk Open

 General Session

• Innovations in Energy Storage, Orlando Utilities Commission and Burns & McDonnell
• Bond Forecast for Public Power Utilities, Fitch Ratings
• Washington Update, Michael Nolan, President, MJN Consulting
• Keynote address: National Security: Your Safety & Bottom Line, Commander Kirk Lippold (USN-Ret.)

  • As the commanding officer of the USS Cole during the al Qaeda terrorist attack in Yemen, Commander Kirk Lippold’s story of leadership and bravery is sure to inspire and motivate attendees. Beyond his heroic actions on the USS Cole, Commander Lippold is a renowned leadership speaker who has spoken to Fortune 500 companies, leading financial institutions, and top industry associations.

    Former USS Cole Commander Kirk Lippold is a frequent guest on many cable news networks that cover national security issues and global hotspots. In his speeches, CDR Lippold breaks down how the U.S. national security apparatus actually operates. His presentations are informative, relevant, and accessible for a broad range of audiences. Lippold delivers a thorough analysis of the day’s news headlines and world events that drive strategy and shape our security posture. Covering current topics from Russia, China, and the Middle East, to North Korea and the global threat of cybersecurity/cyberwarfare, Lippold provides audiences with an invaluable perspective on U.S. policy development, risk management, the state of the world, and what it means for you and your organization.

 Breakout Session One

• Establishing a Utility Authority for Your Community-Owned Asset
• Update on IOU Transmission Rates and Major FERC Proceedings, Steve Pearson and Cindy Bogorad, Partners, Spiegel & McDiarmid Spiegel & McDiarmid

 Breakout Session Two

• BlockEnergy: An Innovative Clean Energy Generation and Delivery System, BlockEnergy and Lakeland Electric
• Physical Security Assessment & Risk Mitigation, Alan Sowell, POWER Engineers

 Breakout Session Three

• Integrated Resource Planning: The Lake Worth Beach Experience, Ed Liberty, Director of Electric Utilities, City of Lake Worth Beach, and Greg Turk, Principal, Horizons Energy 
• FMPA Policymakers Meeting