About Us • Member Services • Training

FMEA FACT SHEET

The Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) represents the unified interests of Florida’s 33 public power communities. FMEA was established in 1942 in response to WWII fuel shortages and is now the statewide trade association and voice for Florida’s municipal electric utilities.

FMEA provides its members with government relations, mutual aid coordination, communications, education, and networking opportunities. The association is at the forefront of energy industry news and trends and supports its member utilities by promoting public power and delivering superior services through advocacy, mutual aid, education, and collaboration.  

In addition to municipal electric utility members, FMEA offers an associate membership to vendor companies who want to connect and do business with Florida’s public power utilities.

Public power utilities play an important role in Florida’s electric industry:

  • 33 public power utilities, geographically dispersed across the state
  • Serve 14 percent of the state’s population –  1.5 million homes and businesses or 3+ million Floridians
  • Employ more than 5,700 Floridians
  • Provide low-cost, reliable electric service, and have been doing so for over a century
  • Provide safe, efficient operations and superior service
  • Promote energy efficiency and conservation to lower consumer power costs
  • 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.

Member Services

Government Relations
FMEA has a broad legislative team actively representing public power’s interests on a wide variety of state and federal legislative and regulatory issues.

Mutual Aid Coordination
FMEA serves as the mutual aid coordinator for our member utilities, arranging assistance from other utilities to provide help following a storm, hurricane or other emergency situation. FMEA also serves as the statewide mutual aid coordinator as part of the American Public Power Association mutual aid process.

Information Clearinghouse
FMEA functions as an information clearinghouse for industry news and trends, providing access to a comprehensive news archive, electric industry statistics, legislative and regulatory updates,  and technical information for individual utility members.

Industry News
Through a weekly Headline News email, FMEA provides a comprehensive listing of industry-related news articles. Although the news concentrates on Florida’s electric and energy industry, pertinent national stories are also run featuring governmental and regulatory news, technical and utility operations news, and environmental impact news.

Relay Magazine
FMEA’s quarterly Relay magazine provides a close-up look at Florida’s public power utilities highlighting their communities, employees, projects, and events. Relay covers the latest industry trends, technical features, interviews with top industry professionals, and comprehensive feature stories on current topics of interest. Relay is Florida’s only electric utility industry magazine and has a readership of more than 2,800.

Florida Electric Bill Comparison
FMEA conducts a monthly comparison of electric bills for Florida’s municipal and investor-owned electric utilities. The monthly report provides a fair comparison of customer bills served by different utilities. The report includes utility rates, average franchise fees of 6 percent, and local payments in lieu of taxes

Lineman Assistance Fund
The FMEA Lineman Assistance Fund provides FMEA member utilities’ lineworkers with emergency financial assistance as they deal with medical conditions. The Fund assists linemen and their families when an on-the-job injury creates a special need.

Professional Network
Through member surveys, roundtables, conferences, and other events, FMEA provides opportunities for its members to network with each other, sharing information, best practices and lessons learned.

Training & Educational Opportunities

FMEA offers many conferences, roundtables, workshops, and training programs for member utilities. To learn more or to join an interest group, visit our Committees & Interest Group page.

FMEA Legislative Rally - Winter event

FMEA’s Legislative Rally is one of the most effective ways for you to meet and lobby your state legislators on electric utility issues. With legislation pending that affects all FMEA members, and with a significant financial impact, it is important for every utility to be represented at the Rally.

Florida Lineman Competition - Early Spring event
The Florida Lineman Competition is a one-day event in which utility lineman teams compete against one another in several different line working events. Vendors from the electric utility industry also attend the event, showcasing the latest industry products and service

FMEA Hurricane & Storm Preparedness Forum - Spring event
FMEA’s annual Hurricane & Storm Preparedness Forum is a one-day event that offers presentations on hurricane preparedness and response, mutual aid, FEMA, and other disaster and emergency response related issues, as well as opportunities for Florida public power utilities to share best practices and lessons learned from each other.

FMEA Annual Conference - Summer event
This three-day event features top industry speakers, informative workshops and discussion groups, and much more. The conference is designed for upper-level utility managers and directors; city managers and directors; and local policymakers from Florida’s public power utilities. The Conference is a summer highlight and brings together representatives from all segments of the electric utility industry: public, private and cooperative, and is extremely successful due to the support of the Florida public power community

Energy Connections Conference & Trade Show - Fall event
The Energy Connections Conference and Trade Show brings together professionals from the energy industry to hear top-notch speakers on pertinent innovative topics and the latest in utility products and services. The convenient one and half-day format allows utility staff to keep travel costs low while receiving high-value education and training. The conference offers general session presentations and breakout training sessions on topics including customer service, safety and training, transmission and distribution and utility operations.

The Conference incorporates a trade show that highlights FMEA Associate Members and vendor companies showcasing valuable industry products and services related to all aspects of the utility industry.