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.