Bill Text: FL S0686 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Energy Security and Disaster Resilience Pilot Program
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2022-03-14 - Died in Regulated Industries [S0686 Detail]
Download: Florida-2022-S0686-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2022 SB 686 By Senator Cruz 18-00260-22 2022686__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to the energy security and disaster 3 resilience pilot program; creating s. 377.817, F.S.; 4 creating the pilot program within the Department of 5 Agriculture and Consumer Services; providing the 6 purpose of the pilot program; defining terms; 7 providing for the issuance of grants to offset costs 8 relating to onsite solar energy storage systems for 9 certain facilities; providing requirements for the 10 application process; directing the department to 11 conduct or contract to conduct a specified study, 12 publish the study on its website, and provide copies 13 of the study to the Governor and Legislature by a 14 specified date; authorizing the department to adopt 15 rules; providing for expiration of the pilot program; 16 providing an appropriation; providing an effective 17 date. 18 19 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 20 21 Section 1. Section 377.817, Florida Statutes, is created to 22 read: 23 377.817 Energy security and disaster resilience pilot 24 program.— 25 (1) PROGRAM CREATION AND PURPOSE.—There is created within 26 the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services an energy 27 security and disaster resilience pilot program. The purpose of 28 the pilot program is to: 29 (a) Encourage the implementation of and demonstrate the 30 effectiveness of distributed energy generation and energy 31 storage technologies to provide for the energy needs of critical 32 disaster resilience facilities during a natural disaster or a 33 declared state of emergency; and 34 (b) Study and assess the effectiveness of grants for 35 distributed energy generation and energy storage technologies to 36 improve the security of the state’s energy resources and enhance 37 preparedness and resilience statewide for a natural disaster or 38 a declared state of emergency. 39 (2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term: 40 (a) “Critical disaster resilience facility” means: 41 1. Emergency operations centers or other buildings owned by 42 a state, county, or municipal government agency and designated 43 by appropriate authorities as places of community refuge which 44 may be made available to provide temporary shelter and housing 45 to citizens during a natural disaster or a declared state of 46 emergency; 47 2. Hospitals, assisted living facilities, and other public 48 health facilities that are necessary to provide health services 49 following a natural disaster or a declared state of emergency; 50 3. Airports, ports, and other transportation facilities 51 necessary for evacuation and critical transportation needs in 52 preparation for and in response to a natural disaster or a 53 declared state of emergency; 54 4. Facilities that are necessary for personnel and services 55 related to emergency management, law enforcement, public safety, 56 fire and rescue, and other first responders in response to a 57 natural disaster or a declared state of emergency; 58 5. Wastewater facilities, stormwater management facilities, 59 and drinking water systems that are necessary for public health 60 and safety in response to a natural disaster or a declared state 61 of emergency; and 62 6. Buildings housing state, county, or municipal 63 governmental agencies providing services related to disaster 64 preparedness or response. 65 (b) “Department” means the Department of Agriculture and 66 Consumer Services. 67 (c) “Eligible costs” means 30 percent of all direct capital 68 and labor costs associated with the purchase and installation of 69 an onsite solar energy storage system. 70 (d) “Onsite solar energy storage system” means a solar 71 photovoltaic generation device or system that is paired with an 72 electricity storage device or system that: 73 1. Is located on a critical disaster resilience facility’s 74 premises and used primarily to offset all or part of the 75 facility’s onsite electrical load or to provide backup energy in 76 the event of a utility electrical outage; 77 2. Is capable of being isolated from the electric grid and 78 operating independently during a utility electrical outage; and 79 3. Has sufficient battery storage capacity to supply at 80 least 24 hours of backup power to meet the critical disaster 81 resilience facility’s onsite electrical load or at least 5 hours 82 of the facility’s average daily usage of electricity. 83 (3) GRANTS.—The department shall establish a program to 84 issue grants to offset costs for the purchase or lease and 85 installation of onsite solar energy storage systems to serve 86 critical disaster resilience facilities. 87 (4) APPLICATION PROCESS.— 88 (a) An applicant seeking a grant, including an owner or 89 installer of the onsite solar energy storage system applying on 90 behalf of a critical disaster resilience facility, must submit 91 an application to the department by a specified date as 92 determined by the department. The application must include a 93 complete description of all eligible costs, proof of purchase or 94 lease of the onsite solar energy storage system for which the 95 applicant is seeking a grant, and any other information deemed 96 necessary by the department. 97 (b) The department shall determine the grant eligibility of 98 each applicant pursuant to this section and department rule. To 99 the extent that funds are available, the department shall issue 100 grants to eligible applicants on a competitive basis, based on 101 selection criteria developed by the department. The total amount 102 of grants issued to eligible applicants may not exceed the 103 amount appropriated for the pilot program. 104 (5) ENERGY STORAGE AND RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES STUDY.— 105 (a) The department shall conduct or contract with a third 106 party to conduct a study on the effectiveness of using solar 107 energy storage technologies and other renewable energy 108 generation and storage technologies. 109 (b) The study must include an assessment of the 110 effectiveness of solar energy storage technologies under the 111 pilot program. The assessment must be based on factors that may 112 include, but are not limited to, the public health and safety, 113 disaster preparedness and resilience, capital investment, net 114 customer savings, net utility savings or deferred investments, 115 net job creation, and impact on utility service rates and 116 service quality. 117 (c) The study must include all of the following: 118 1. Identification of existing policies relating to the use 119 of solar energy storage technologies and other renewable energy 120 generation and storage technologies. 121 2. Recommendations for expanding the pilot program as a 122 statewide energy security and disaster resilience policy. 123 3. Recommendations for statewide utility and state and 124 local planning and procurement policies that will provide net 125 benefits from the use of solar energy storage technologies and 126 other renewable energy generation and storage technologies. 127 (d) By December 31, 2023, the department shall publish the 128 results of the study on its website and provide copies of the 129 study to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the 130 Speaker of the House of Representatives. 131 (6) RULES.—The department may adopt rules to administer 132 this section. 133 (7) PILOT PROGRAM EXPIRATION.—This section expires on 134 January 1, 2025. 135 Section 2. For the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the sum of $10 136 million in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the General 137 Revenue Fund to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer 138 Services for the purpose of funding the energy security and 139 disaster resilience pilot program created by this act. The 140 department may use up to $100,000 to administer the pilot 141 program and may use up to $150,000 to conduct or contract with a 142 third party to conduct the energy storage and renewable energy 143 resources study. 144 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.