Keys Energy Services

KEYS HELPS A PAWS-ITIVELY GREAT CAUSE On Friday, March 14, KEYS' employees assisted the Florida Keys Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (FKSPCA) setting up for its 17th Annual Spring Social at the Truman Little White House. “Our Day of Giving is about strengthening our community,” said Lynne Tejeda, General Manager & CEO. “Supporting the FKSPCA protect and care for animals is a cause our team was proud to support.” KEYS’ Days of Giving program was launched in 2023 and connects employees with local nonprofit organizations in the Lower Florida Keys needing assistance with special projects and events. For more information on FKSPCA visit FKSPCA.org. PHOTO 1 CAPTION: KEYS’ employees (from left) Zahny Gonzalez, Mayra Bethel, Mariah Jung, Kris Bremer, Robert DePhillips Jr., Frankie Holtkamp, Samantha Lopez, Michael Wedincamp, and Irina Baker help set up for the FKSPCA Spring Social at the Harry S Truman Little White House Museum. PHOTO 2 CAPTION: (From left) Frankie Holtkamp, Samantha Lopez, Kris Bremer, and Mariah Jung help unload silent auction items for the FKSPCA Spring Social at the Truman Little White House. 

KEYS’ Raynald Bastien will celebrate his 5th anniversary with the Utility on March 16. Bastien currently serves as an Apprentice Power System Coordinator within the Engineering & Control department. In his post he is responsible for maintaining a reliable and secure power system by controlling the loading of the Utility’s generating resources. 💡 #PoweringParadise 

KEYS’ William Drager and Bob Wilkins will celebrate their 10th anniversaries with the Utility on March 9. Drager is a Journey Lineman within the Transmission & Distribution department. In his current role he is responsible for constructing and maintaining overhead T&D lines, poles, and related infrastructure. Wilkins currently serves as a Power System Coordinator within the Engineering & Control department. In his post he is responsible for maintaining a reliable and secure power system by controlling the loading of the Utility’s generating resources. #PoweringParadise

KEYS was among 17 Florida public power utilities to receive a Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) Safety Award, which recognizes utilities’ commitment to safety. The award was presented at the Florida Lineman Competition awards banquet in Ocala on Saturday, March 1. Linework is listed as one of the top 10 most dangerous jobs. In order to provide reliable power, Florida lineworkers and power crews are frequently engaged in dangerous work that can place them at risk of serious or fatal injuries, which is why public power utilities place a significant emphasis on safety and training. KEYS received a perfect record in the category with other similar-sized utilities. “Each of these winners, including KEYS, embodies the safety culture deeply inherent in public power. Their continuous efforts throughout the year to maintain safe workplaces and cultivate a culture of safety ensure employees can work both securely and efficiently,” said Amy Zubaly, FMEA Executive Director. “We applaud these utilities for their commitment to safety.” Florida’s public power utilities are locally owned, locally controlled and locally operated, enabling them to quickly respond to the needs of their communities. They are also among some of the most reliable power providers in the state. Photo caption: KEYS’ Safety & Risk Coordinator Juan LLera (left) accepts the FMEA Safety Award on behalf of KEYS from FMEA Executive Director Amy Zubaly.

KEYS' employees recently led a coastal cleanup along the Utility’s property on Front Street in Stock Island. As part of its commitment to stewardship and community, KEYS employees removed litter and debris from its shoreline to help preserve the beauty of Stock Island. “This cleanup is just one example of how KEYS and its employees are giving back to the community and helping to preserve the natural beauty of the Keys for future generations,” said Lynne Tejeda, KEYS General Manager & CEO. For more information about KEYS’ sustainability initiatives visit https://lnkd.in/ePKnj95R. #GrowingGreenerEveryDay #CommunityPowered PHOTO 1 CAPTION: KEYS’ employees recently removed litter and debris from the Utility’s shoreline property on Front Street in Stock Island. (Pictured from left) Irina Baker, Zahny Gonzalez, KEYS’ General Manager & CEO Tejeda Lynne, Edee Gates-Delph, Dina Perez, Utility Board Vice Chair Robert Barrios, Mayra Bethel, and Nick Batty.

On March 1 a team of KEYS’ Linemen will compete in the Florida Lineman Competition, better known as the “Lineman’s Rodeo”, in Ocala, Florida. The event allows line workers from Florida’s municipal utilities, electric cooperatives and investor-owned utilities to demonstrate their skills, knowledge, and teamwork while performing actual line work procedures. The competition simulates real-world situations in a de-energized environment. KEYS will be represented by Line Leader Manny Estevez, Journey Linemen Billy Drager, Joe Francis, and Garrett Pita, and Apprentice Lineman Eric Armstrong. 👷#LineLife #PoweringParadise #FLPublicPower Photo caption: KEYS’ Linemen participating in the Florida Lineman Competition, (from left) Journey Lineman Joe Francis, Line Leader Manny Estevez, Apprentice Lineman Eric Armstrong, and Journey Linemen Garrett Pita & Billy Drager.

Representatives from Keys Energy Services and the Utility Board traveled to Washington D.C. this week to meet with members of the United States House of Representatives and Senate and their staffers to discuss issues relevant to the public power sector and KEYS’ customers. The meetings were part of the annual American Public Power Association (APPA) Legislative Rally. The APPA Legislative Rally allows public power utility representatives from around the country to converge on the nation’s capital to address issues confronting the public power industry. Issues discussed during the 2025 Legislative Rally included: • Reliable and Affordable Electricity: Florida is heavily dependent on natural gas and KEYS representatives urged Congress to support an “all of the above” approach for energy resources to include natural gas, renewables, and small modular reactors. Additionally, representatives supported reforming federal environmental regulations and statutes for maintaining a consistent and reliable electricity grid.  • Municipal Bonds/Tax: Municipal utilities are heavily reliant on municipal bonds which finance infrastructure and keep costs down for communities and customers. KEYS representatives shared their opposition to federal restrictions on local uses of municipal bonds and taxing interest on those bonds. Representatives expressed their support for elective pay tax credits for all utilities. • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): KEYS representatives expressed that FEMA reform is long overdue, with bureaucratic delays in the reimbursement process costing Floridians millions. They requested that Congress support the FEMA Loan Interest Payment Relief Act and POWER (Promoting Opportunities to Widen Electrical Resilience) Act. The APPA is a collection of more than 2,000 community-owned electric utilities, serving 14-percent of the nation’s electricity consumers. PHOTO CAPTION: United States Representative Carlos A. Gimenez (center) met with KEYS representatives (from left) Utility Board Member Pat Labrada, General Manager & CEO Tejeda Lynne, Director of Legal & Regulatory Services Nick Batty, and Utility Board Member Rachel Oropeza.

KEYS’ Apprentice Lineman Ralph Major and Journey Lineman Andy Perez talked to students during a career day at Gerald Adams elementary school today about their profession and tools of the trade! #CommunityPowered

The Utility Board approved Keys Energy Services’ (KEYS) annual audit and Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for the Fiscal Year (FY) ending September 30, 2023, at their regular meeting on February 19, 2025. Per Bond Covenants, the Board engages an independent accounting firm to perform an annual audit of the financial statements of the Utility within 210 days after the close of the FY. Tiffany Mangold CPA, partner with Utility Board auditor’s Purvis, Gray, & Company LLP, explained that the Independent Auditor’s Report states that, “in our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the respective financial position of the business-type activities of KEYS as of September 30, 2024, and the respective changes in financial position, and cash flows thereof for the years then ended in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.” Mangold went on to add that, “this is the highest level of assurance an auditor can provide.”  The regular meeting of the Utility Board took place at 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 19th, in the Board Room of Keys Energy Services’ Service Building, 1001 James Street, Key West. #PoweringParadise

KEYS’ Derek ‘DJ’ Randolph will celebrate his 10th anniversary with the Utility on February 23. Randolph currently serves as a Meter Services Technician within the Customer Services department. In his current post, he is responsible for the installation, removal, maintenance, and reading of electric meters. hashtag #PoweringParadise