Florida Public Powercast

Florida Municipal Electric Association

The Florida Public Powercast explores the people, policies, and innovations shaping Florida’s 33 public power communities. Each episode features conversations with utility leaders and industry experts on the latest news and insights on the future of public power in the Sunshine State. The Florida Public Powercast is brought to you by the Florida Municipal Electric Association.

Episodes

  1. Jul 24

    Ep. 10 — Brandon Edwards: Building a Smarter Security Operation at JEA

    Brandon Edwards, Director of Security and Emergency Preparedness at JEA, joins Steve Vancore to discuss how security operations have transformed at one of Florida's largest municipal utilities. Drawing on 20 years at JEA, Brandon traces the evolution from physical guards and analog systems to digital networks and advanced analytics, including emerging concerns around drone threats to critical infrastructure. Brandon walks through JEA's asset prioritization framework, where operations teams rank critical assets based on operational impact, community impact, and regulatory requirements. The episode closes with a discussion of hurricane preparedness and JEA's approach to developing "third string" personnel who can step in and keep operations running during extended emergency events. This episode is sponsored by Danella.

  2. Jul 6

    Ep. 9 — Stephanie Madden: The Elected Official's View of Public Power

    Stephanie Madden, City Commissioner and liaison to Lakeland Electric, offers a perspective not often heard on the podcast: what it looks like to regulate a municipal utility as an elected official. Her connection to the industry runs deep, shaped by a grandfather who spent his career in electric and an uncle who worked as a lineman, and deepened further through her involvement with FMEA and the American Public Power Association. Stephanie walks through the unique responsibilities that come with her role, particularly the need for transparency and public accountability when making decisions on rates and fuel cost adjustments. The conversation covers several of the big issues facing utilities today, including FEMA reimbursement reforms, the complexities of managing major infrastructure investments like data centers and small modular reactors, and the importance of maintaining a diverse fuel mix as energy needs evolve. She closes by making the case for public power, highlighting its ability to reinvest revenue directly into the community through lower property taxes and stronger public services, a tangible benefit that sets municipal utilities apart.   This episode is sponsored by Danella.

  3. Jun 19

    Ep. 8 — Glen Moehling: A Safety Culture That Brings Everyone Home

    Glen Moehling, Utility Compliance, Safety, and Workforce Development Manager at Ocala Electric Utility, joins Steve Vancore to discuss what a genuine safety culture looks like in practice. Glen is quick to put awards in perspective: recognition is secondary to the real goal of making sure everyone goes home safely every day. That means stopping work when incidents occur to conduct forensic analysis rather than pushing through to finish the job. Glen walks through the tools and frameworks behind Ocala's approach, including the "life, limb, or eyesight" standard, dry erase magnets for pre-job briefings, and the Swiss cheese model for identifying and addressing layered hazards. One revealing finding: roughly 30% of lost-time incidents had nothing to do with line work, but stemmed from everyday administrative and atypical tasks, a reminder that safety awareness can't stop at the job site. The conversation also covers how Ocala manages the line between emergency and urgent situations during outages, with strict 16-hour maximum work limits and a thoughtful approach to integrating mutual aid crews during storm restoration. Glen closes on a personal note, reflecting on 40-plus years of motorcycle riding as a real-world application of the same heightened awareness and disciplined safety habits he brings to work every day. This episode is sponsored by Danella.

  4. Jun 4

    Ep. 7 — Kevin Guthrie: Prepare to Recover

    Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), discusses the 2026 hurricane season with a straightforward message: "Be ready for your one." Guthrie unpacks Florida's "Let's prepare to recover" philosophy, covering the practical steps that bring it to life: filling out forms correctly,  providing required documentation, and F-ROC (Florida's Recovery Obligation Calculation), a tool aimed at making recovery more proactive and the public assistance program faster and more streamlined. He also clarifies what FMEA members should and should not do to prepare for hurricane season. Guthrie closes with a reminder that often gets overlooked: don't forget about your employees.

  5. May 18

    Ep. 6 — Mike Crow: Storm Ready in Tallahassee

    Steve sits down with Mike Crow, Assistant General Manager for Power Delivery at the City of Tallahassee, for a timely conversation recorded in April 2026 as hurricane season preparations ramp up. They open with a proud local note: Tallahassee's recent win at the FMEA Florida Lineman Competition. Mike pulls back the curtain on what utility hurricane preparedness looks like day-to-day, walking through the tabletop exercise process and why the "cone of uncertainty" demands flexibility. A storm can shift at any time, and being a responsible mutual aid partner means staying ready regardless. He also draws a clear distinction between preparing for a hurricane versus a tornado, two threats that require very different playbooks. With 20 years in the industry, Mike reflects on the biggest shift he's seen: customers now expect real-time information during outages, and communication has become a core part of the restoration process, not an afterthought. This episode is sponsored by Danella Companies.

  6. May 4

    Ep. 5 — Clint Bullock: Leading OUC – The Reliable One

    Clint Bullock, General Manager & CEO of the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC), traces his journey from intern to chief executive, and shares what's behind OUC's standing as The Reliable One with just 32.8 minutes of average outage time per customer per year. He reflects on how the definition of "reliable" has evolved: sustained outages that were once tolerated are now unacceptable, and even momentary disruptions draw scrutiny.   To meet rising expectations, OUC is investing in underground distribution pilot projects and launching PeakSHIFT, a comprehensive pricing initiative that transitions solar programs from net metering to net billing, introduces a demand component to reduce strain on the grid, and implements time-of-day pricing.    Clint also discusses his leadership philosophy, staying connected with employees and customers and encouraging a culture where innovation is part of how the utility moves forward. He closes with reflections on his role as FMEA president and why mutual aid and collaboration remain essential pillars of Florida's public power community.   This episode is sponsored by Burns & McDonnell.

  7. Apr 2

    Ep. 4 — Randy Knight: How Winter Park Took Control of Its Electric Future

    Randy Knight, City Manager of Winter Park, joins host Steve Vancore to reflect on one of the most consequential decisions in the city's history — the municipalization of its electric utility. Randy walks through the defining moments that led Winter Park to pursue public power, from growing frustrations with its investor-owned utility to a bold vision for what local control could mean for the community. He shares how the city built its case and ultimately won 69% of the vote against a well-resourced incumbent utility. From early wins in reliability and customer service to unexpected benefits that emerged over time, Randy reflects on how the transition delivered on its promise. With Winter Park now serving as a national model, he shares the lessons he offers to other cities exploring public power, including what the city did well and what he would do differently. This episode is sponsored by Burns & McDonnell.

  8. Mar 5

    Ep. 3 — James Alexander & Daniel Bland: 25 Years of FMEA’s Florida Lineman Competition

    In Episode 3 of the Florida Public Powercast, James Alexander, Senior Technical Trainer at the Orlando Utilities Commission, and Daniel Bland, Line Crew Supervisor at the City of Tallahassee, mark the 25th anniversary of FMEA’s Florida Lineman Competition.  James, a former state, national, and international lineman champion who later served as Chief Judge and now chairs the Florida Lineman Competition Committee, explains how the event began in 2001 in Lakeland with a singular focus on safety. From the demanding Hurt Man Rescue to precision skills challenges, the competition reinforces discipline and real-world preparedness — because, as he notes, most accidents happen when complacency sets in.  Daniel, once a competitor himself, now leads Tallahassee’s efforts as host city, overseeing construction of the competition field and overall event logistics. With 27 teams and more than 150 competitors participating, plus a Friday evening Kids Rodeo, the event has grown into a showcase of professionalism, pride, and continuous learning within Florida’s public power community. This episode is sponsored by ENERCON

  9. Feb 20

    Ep. 2 — Ed Liberty: Leading Utility Transformation in Lake Worth Beach

    In this episode of the Florida Public Powercast, host Steve Vancore is joined by Ed Liberty, President of the Florida Municipal Electric Association and Director of Electric Utilities for the City of Lake Worth Beach. Ed shares his career path in public power and details the multi-year transformation of Lake Worth Beach’s electric utility. He explains how improvements began with culture and communication before moving into major system upgrades, including grid modernization, storm hardening, and publishing reliability metrics. The discussion also touches on future pressures facing utilities, from data centers and AI-driven demand to aging infrastructure, regulatory scrutiny, and the need for transparency with both customers and employees. This episode is sponsored by PraXel Line Services.

  10. Feb 9

    Ep. 1 — Amy Zubaly: Powering Communities Through Public Power

    In the first episode of the Florida Public Powercast, host Steve Vancore talks with Amy Zubaly, Executive Director of the Florida Municipal Electric Association, about how public power works in Florida. Amy explains FMEA’s role in advocacy, mutual aid coordination, and member education, and why the Powercast was created as a new way to communicate with stakeholders. She discusses the challenges utilities face as Florida adds about 1,000 new residents a day, what makes municipal utilities locally owned and accountable, and why proactive communication matters. She also addresses the misconception of a simple “light bill,” noting that municipal utility bills often include multiple essential community services.

  • 10 Episodes

About

The Florida Public Powercast explores the people, policies, and innovations shaping Florida’s 33 public power communities. Each episode features conversations with utility leaders and industry experts on the latest news and insights on the future of public power in the Sunshine State. The Florida Public Powercast is brought to you by the Florida Municipal Electric Association.

Information

  • Creator
    Florida Municipal Electric Association
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Florida Municipal Electric Association
  • Show Website
    Florida Public Powercast