Bill Text: FL S1360 | 2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Energy Security and Disaster Resilience Pilot Program
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2021-04-30 - Died in Regulated Industries [S1360 Detail]
Download: Florida-2021-S1360-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2021 SB 1360
By Senator Cruz
18-01543-21 20211360__
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;
14 authorizing the department to adopt rules; providing
15 for expiration of the pilot program; providing an
16 appropriation; providing an effective date.
17
18 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
19
20 Section 1. Section 377.817, Florida Statutes, is created to
21 read:
22 377.817 Energy security and disaster resilience pilot
23 program.—
24 (1) PROGRAM CREATION AND PURPOSE.—There is created within
25 the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services an energy
26 security and disaster resilience pilot program. The purpose of
27 the pilot program is to:
28 (a) Encourage and demonstrate the effectiveness of
29 distributed energy generation and energy storage technologies to
30 provide for the energy needs of critical disaster resilience
31 facilities during a natural disaster or declared state of
32 emergency.
33 (b) Study and assess the effectiveness of grants for
34 distributed energy generation and energy storage technologies
35 throughout the state to improve the security of the state’s
36 energy resources and enhance preparedness and resilience for a
37 natural disaster or declared state of emergency.
38 (2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
39 (a) “Critical disaster resilience facility” means:
40 1. Emergency operations centers or other buildings owned by
41 a state, county, or municipal government agency and designated
42 by appropriate authorities as a place of community refuge to be
43 made available to provide temporary shelter and housing to
44 citizens during a natural disaster or declared state of
45 emergency.
46 2. Hospitals, assisted living facilities, and other public
47 health facilities needed to provide health services following a
48 natural disaster or declared state of emergency.
49 3. Airports, ports, and other transportation facilities
50 needed for evacuation and critical transportation needs in
51 preparation for and in response to a natural disaster or
52 declared state of emergency.
53 4. Facilities needed for personnel and services related to
54 emergency management, law enforcement, public safety, fire and
55 rescue, and first responders in response to a natural disaster
56 or declared state of emergency.
57 5. Wastewater facilities, stormwater management facilities,
58 and drinking water systems needed for public health and safety
59 in response to a natural disaster or declared state of
60 emergency.
61 6. Buildings housing state, county, or municipal government
62 agencies providing services related to disaster preparedness or
63 response.
64 (b) “Department” means the Department of Agriculture and
65 Consumer Services.
66 (c) “Eligible costs” means 30 percent of all direct capital
67 and labor costs associated with the purchase and installation of
68 an onsite solar energy storage system.
69 (d) “Onsite solar energy storage system” means a solar
70 photovoltaic generation device or system that is paired with an
71 electricity storage device or system that:
72 1. Is located on a critical disaster resilience facility’s
73 premises and used primarily to offset all or part of the
74 facility’s onsite electrical load or to provide backup energy in
75 the event of a utility electrical outage.
76 2. Is capable of being isolated from the electric grid and
77 operating independently during a utility electrical outage.
78 3. Has sufficient battery storage capacity to supply at
79 least 24 hours of backup power to meet the critical disaster
80 resilience facility’s onsite electrical load or at least 5 hours
81 of the facility’s average daily usage of electricity.
82 (3) GRANTS.—The department shall establish a program to
83 issue grants to offset costs for the purchase or lease and
84 installation of onsite solar energy storage systems to serve
85 critical disaster resilience facilities.
86 (4) APPLICATION PROCESS.—
87 (a) An applicant seeking a grant, including an owner or
88 installer of the onsite solar energy storage system applying on
89 behalf of a critical disaster resilience facility, must submit
90 an application to the department by a specified date as
91 determined by the department. The application must require a
92 complete description of all eligible costs, proof of purchase or
93 lease of the onsite solar energy storage system for which the
94 applicant is seeking a grant, and any other information deemed
95 necessary by the department.
96 (b) The department shall determine the grant eligibility of
97 each applicant pursuant to this section and department rule. The
98 total amount of grants issued to eligible applicants may not
99 exceed the amount appropriated for the pilot program. Grants
100 must be issued to eligible applicants on a competitive basis,
101 based on selection criteria developed by the department.
102 (5) ENERGY STORAGE AND RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES STUDY.—
103 (a) The department shall conduct or contract with a third
104 party to conduct a study on the effectiveness of using solar
105 energy storage technologies and other renewable energy
106 generation and storage technologies.
107 (b) The study must include an assessment of the
108 effectiveness of solar energy storage technologies pursuant to
109 the pilot program, based on factors that may include public
110 health and safety, disaster preparedness and resilience, capital
111 investment, net customer savings, net utility savings or
112 deferred investments, net job creation, impact on utility
113 service rates and service quality, and any other factors related
114 to the use of such technologies.
115 (c) The study must include all of the following:
116 1. Identification of existing policies relating to the use
117 of solar energy storage technologies and other renewable energy
118 generation and storage technologies.
119 2. Recommendations for expanding the pilot program as a
120 statewide energy security and disaster resilience policy.
121 3. Recommendations for statewide utility and state and
122 local planning and procurement policies that will provide net
123 benefits from the use of solar energy storage technologies and
124 other renewable energy generation and storage technologies.
125 (d) By December 31, 2022, the department shall publish the
126 results of the study on its website and provide copies of the
127 study to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
128 Speaker of the House of Representatives.
129 (6) RULES.—The department may adopt rules to administer
130 this section.
131 (7) PILOT PROGRAM EXPIRATION.—This section expires on
132 January 1, 2024.
133 Section 2. For the 2021-2022 fiscal year, the sum of $10
134 million in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the General
135 Revenue Fund to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
136 Services for the purpose of funding the energy security and
137 disaster resilience pilot program created by this act. The
138 department may use up to $100,000 to administer the pilot
139 program and shall use up to $150,000 to conduct or contract with
140 a third party to conduct the energy storage and renewable energy
141 resources study.
142 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
