Bill Text: FL S1888 | 2018 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Energy Security and Disaster Resilience Pilot Program
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2018-03-10 - Died in Appropriations Subcommittee on the Environment and Natural Resources [S1888 Detail]
Download: Florida-2018-S1888-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2018 SB 1888
By Senator Garcia
36-01553-18 20181888__
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; specifying program
6 purpose; defining terms; providing for the issuance of
7 grants to offset costs relating to certain onsite
8 solar energy storage systems for certain facilities
9 located in areas of critical state concern; providing
10 policies and procedures for grant application
11 approval; directing the department to adopt rules by a
12 specified date; directing the Florida Solar Energy
13 Center to conduct a specified study under certain
14 circumstances and to publish and provide copies of the
15 study to the Governor, the Legislature, and the
16 Commissioner of Agriculture by a specified date;
17 providing an expiration date; providing an
18 appropriation; providing an effective date.
19
20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
21
22 Section 1. Section 377.817, Florida Statutes, is created to
23 read:
24 377.817 Energy security and disaster resilience pilot
25 program.—
26 (1) PROGRAM CREATION AND PURPOSE.—There is created within
27 the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services an energy
28 security and disaster resilience pilot program. The purpose of
29 the pilot program is to:
30 (a) Encourage use of and demonstrate the effectiveness of
31 distributed energy generation and energy storage technologies to
32 provide for the energy needs of critical disaster resilience
33 facilities located in areas of critical state concern during a
34 natural disaster or declared state of emergency; and
35 (b) Study and assess the benefits of grants for distributed
36 energy generation and energy storage technologies throughout the
37 state to improve the security of the state’s energy resources
38 and enhance preparedness and resilience for a natural disaster
39 or declared state of emergency.
40 (2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
41 (a) “Area of critical state concern” means an area
42 designated pursuant to s. 380.05.
43 (b) “Critical disaster resilience facility” means:
44 1. Any emergency operations center or other building owned
45 by a state, county, or municipal government agency that is
46 designated by appropriate authorities as a place of community
47 refuge made available to provide temporary shelter and housing
48 to citizens during any natural disaster or declared state of
49 emergency;
50 2. Hospitals, assisted living facilities, and other public
51 health facilities needed to provide health services following a
52 natural disaster or declared state of emergency;
53 3. Airports, ports, and other transportation facilities
54 needed for evacuation and critical transportation needs in
55 preparation for and in response to a natural disaster or
56 declared state of emergency;
57 4. Facilities needed for personnel and services related to
58 emergency management, law enforcement, public safety, fire and
59 rescue, and first responders; and
60 5. Buildings housing state, county, or municipal government
61 agencies providing any services relating to disaster
62 preparedness or response.
63 (c) “Department” means the Department of Agriculture and
64 Consumer Services.
65 (d) “Onsite solar energy storage system” means a solar
66 photovoltaic generation device or system that is paired with an
67 electricity storage device or system that:
68 1. Is located on a critical disaster resilience facility’s
69 premises and is used primarily to offset all or part of the
70 facility’s onsite electrical load, or to provide backup power in
71 the event of a utility electrical outage;
72 2. Is capable of isolating from the electric grid and
73 operating independently during a utility electrical outage; and
74 3. Has sufficient battery storage capacity to supply at
75 least 24 hours of backup power for the critical disaster
76 resilience facility’s onsite electrical load or at least 5 hours
77 of the facility’s average daily usage.
78 (3) GRANTS.—The department shall establish and issue grants
79 to offset costs for the purchase or lease and installation of
80 onsite solar energy storage systems placed into service after
81 January 1, 2018, to serve critical disaster resilience
82 facilities located in areas of critical state concern.
83 (4) APPLICATION PROCESS.—
84 (a) An applicant seeking a grant, including an owner or
85 installer of the onsite solar energy storage system applying on
86 behalf of a critical disaster resilience facility, shall submit
87 an application to the department by a specified date as
88 determined by department rule. The application shall require a
89 complete description of all eligible costs, proof of purchase or
90 lease of the onsite solar energy storage system for which the
91 applicant is seeking a grant, and any other information deemed
92 necessary by the department.
93 (b) The department shall determine the grant eligibility of
94 each applicant in accordance with the requirements of this
95 section and department rule. The total amount of grants issued
96 to eligible applicants may not exceed the amount appropriated
97 for the pilot program. Grants shall be issued to eligible
98 applicants on a first-come, first-served basis, determined by
99 the date the application is received, until all appropriated
100 funds are expended or the program ends, whichever occurs first.
101 (5) RULES.—The department shall adopt rules to administer
102 this section by December 31, 2018, including rules relating to
103 the forms required to obtain a grant under this section, the
104 required documentation and basis for establishing grant
105 eligibility, and procedures and guidelines for obtaining a
106 grant.
107 (6) ENERGY STORAGE AND RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES STUDY.—
108 (a) The Florida Solar Energy Center shall, subject to
109 legislative appropriation and allocation of funds by the
110 department, conduct a study on the benefits of using solar
111 energy storage technologies and other renewable energy
112 generation and storage technologies.
113 (b) The study must include an assessment of the benefits
114 provided by solar energy storage technologies pursuant to the
115 pilot program, based on factors that may include, but are not
116 limited to, public health and safety, disaster preparedness and
117 resilience, capital investment, net customer savings, net
118 utility savings or deferred investments, net job creation,
119 impact on utility service rates and service quality, and any
120 other factors related to the use of such technologies.
121 (c) The study shall include, but is not limited to:
122 1. Identification of existing policies relating to the use
123 of solar energy storage technologies and other renewable energy
124 generation and storage technologies;
125 2. Recommendations for expanding the pilot program as a
126 statewide energy security and disaster resilience policy; and
127 3. Recommendations for statewide utility planning and
128 procurement policies that will provide net benefits from the use
129 of solar energy storage technologies and other renewable energy
130 generation and storage technologies.
131 (d) By October 1, 2019, the Florida Solar Energy Center
132 shall publish the results of the study and submit copies of the
133 study to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker
134 of the House of Representatives, and the Commissioner of
135 Agriculture.
136 (7) PILOT PROGRAM EXPIRATION.—This section expires on July
137 1, 2020.
138 Section 2. For the 2018-2019 fiscal year, the sum of $10
139 million in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the General
140 Revenue Fund to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
141 Services for the purpose of funding the energy security and
142 disaster resilience pilot program created by this act.
143 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.
