FPUA officials warn data centers, inverter‑based resources pose planning challenges as reliability improves

Fort Pierce Utilities Authority staff on Jan. 20 told the board that electric reliability metrics have improved since 2023 but that emerging trends — notably increased inverter‑based resources (IBRs) and large data centers seeking significant power — are creating planning and regulatory challenges.

Eric Meyer, supervising electric engineer, delivered a regulatory compliance overview and said FPUA is registered with NERC as a transmission owner and distribution provider. He said no new NERC standards applicable to FPUA took effect in 2025 but that the utility's consultant identified one minor violation for which FPUA plans a self‑report in 2026.

Meyer explained IBRs — generating resources such as solar and wind that use power electronics rather than rotating machines — and said while developers have requested interconnections, "no large scale utility IBR projects are currently interconnected to the system as of today." He also confirmed his team has seen data‑center requests for service on aggressive timelines.

Board members expressed concern that large data centers could compete with municipal load and equipment. "These data centers are having to produce their own capacity power," Cisneros said, but noted that data centers' timelines and demand profiles are reshaping planning. One board member warned the public fears data centers will "take power away from the regular customer." Staff and FMPA representatives said federal and state entities, including NERC and public service commissions, are studying standards and connection rules and that FMPA is engaged in national and state conversations to protect grid reliability.

Keith Stevens, director of gas and electric, reviewed reliability measures (SAIFI, SAIDI, CAIDI, MAIFI) and pointed to weather events — Hurricane Ian and a May 2024 storm — as drivers of recent spikes. Stevens said the primary driver on the system today is equipment failure, followed by weather, animals and vegetation. He described several mitigation programs: vegetation management and contracted tree trimming; pole replacement and Osmos inspections; deployment of "trip saver" devices (mini breakers that open and reclose to prevent outages from tree or animal contacts); lateral undergrounding projects in high‑blink areas; and smart fault indicators that report through SCADA to reduce truck rolls.

Stevens said the utility had already installed roughly 115–160 trip savers and planned to deploy about 260 system‑wide through a grant program by Sept. 30. On AMI, staff said integration with outage management is a priority so the utility can detect customer outages before calls arrive and reduce truck rolls. Stevens said automated alerts currently notify staff when roughly 50 or more customers lose power.

"We won't have as many truck rolls," Stevens said of AMI and fault‑indicator integration, adding that those tools speed crews to the exact feeder and reduce restoration time. Board members praised responsiveness and emphasized that customers care most about knowing the utility is aware and working to restore service.

On large new loads, staff noted some developers seek 200–300 MW connections that would require substantial grid upgrades. Meyer and Cisneros said regulators are still formulating guidelines and that FMPA and other entities will continue to monitor and engage on standards to manage the integration of IBRs and large new loads.

The presentations were for board information; no formal action was requested other than continuing oversight of compliance and capital planning.