Cane Island Power Park Named Top Power Plant

Award recognizes plant’s record of providing affordable, reliable and clean power

Cane Island Power Park received a Top Plant Award from POWER Magazine for its continued success in providing affordable, reliable and clean power. The power generating facility is one of five natural gas-fired power plants in the world to be recognized and the only one located in Florida.

The award recognizes top performing power plants that have distinguished themselves as industry leaders through equipment enhancements, innovative design and successful operations.

The plant received the award for its excellent operating record in 2021, which plays an essential role in providing customers with affordable, reliable power. This was especially true when Hurricane Ian hit Central Florida as a Category 4 storm on Sept. 28. Cane Island operated throughout the storm and supplied electricity to customers who were able to take power.

“We rely on Cane Island to generate nearly half of our energy,” said Jacob Williams, Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA) General Manager and CEO. “The facility’s operating performance during Hurricane Ian shows just how reliable the units are.”

Cane Island Power Park includes two baseload units, one intermediate load unit and a peaking unit. The two baseload units were available approximately 95% of the time in 2021 to provide electricity for 24 Florida cities served by FMPA. The industry average for similar units is 85%.

In Spring 2022, Cane Island Unit 3 completed a major maintenance and upgrade, its first performance upgrade since it came online in 2001. Maintenance work was conducted to replace and repair major components to ensure continued reliable service over the next decade. The upgrades also increased the unit’s output by 12 megawatts, which will power an additional 8,400 homes and help reduce carbon emissions and operating costs.

“We are extremely honored to receive this award in recognition of the reliability, maintenance and operation of our Cane Island Power Plant,” said Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA) President and General Manager Brian Horton. “This award is a true testament to our 42 staff members who do an excellent job operating the facility.”

Cane Island Power Park, located in Intercession City, Fla, is jointly owned by FMPA and KUA. Units 1, 2 and 3 are a 50/50 split between the two utilities, and Unit 4 is wholly owned by FMPA. KUA manages the day-to-day operations of the plant.