Florida Senate - 2018                                    SB 1038
       
       
        
       By Senator Brandes
       
       
       
       
       
       24-00701B-18                                          20181038__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Energy 2040 Task Force;
    3         creating the Energy 2040 Task Force within the Public
    4         Service Commission; specifying the purpose of the task
    5         force; requiring the task force to make
    6         recommendations, giving consideration to certain
    7         topics; requiring the commission to provide
    8         administrative and support services; specifying the
    9         task force membership; authorizing the task force to
   10         create advisory committees; specifying that the task
   11         force and any advisory committee members will serve
   12         without compensation, but are entitled to per diem and
   13         travel expenses; requiring that state agencies assist
   14         and cooperate with the task force and any advisory
   15         committees; specifying that appointments to the task
   16         force be made by a certain date; specifying the first
   17         meeting of the task force; specifying the process for
   18         filling vacancies; specifying quorum and voting
   19         procedures; requiring the task force to submit
   20         recommendations to the President of the Senate, the
   21         Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the
   22         Governor by a specified date; providing an expiration
   23         date; providing an effective date.
   24          
   25  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   26  
   27         Section 1. (1)The Energy 2040 Task Force, a task force as
   28  defined in s. 20.03, Florida Statutes, is created within the
   29  Public Service Commission to project Florida’s electric energy
   30  needs over the next 20 years and determine how best to meet
   31  those needs in an efficient, affordable, and reliable manner
   32  while increasing competition and consumer choice and ensuring
   33  adequate electric reserves.
   34         (2)Based on these projections and determinations, the task
   35  force shall recommend appropriate electric policies for the
   36  state, including any necessary statutory changes. In making its
   37  projections and determinations, the task force shall consider
   38  all relevant topics, including, but not limited to:
   39         (a)Forecasts through the year 2040 of the state’s
   40  population growth, electricity needs, and electric supply, and
   41  the expected diversity of fuels and their sources for use in the
   42  state.
   43         (b)Projections of the effects of allowing nonutility
   44  retail sales of renewable energy, including determinations and
   45  recommendations on what types of fuels and technologies should
   46  be included in the definition of the term “renewable energy” and
   47  what criteria, including restrictions, should be required of
   48  entities considered nonutility retail renewable energy
   49  producers. For purposes of this section, solar technologies are
   50  considered renewable energy.
   51         (c)The rights for and obligations between a nonutility
   52  direct retail renewable energy producer and its customers,
   53  including whether such rights and duties should be a matter of
   54  contract or subject to some oversight or regulation by the
   55  Public Service Commission and whether courts or the Public
   56  Service Commission should resolve any disputes.
   57         (d)The effects of nonutility direct retail renewable
   58  energy sales on regulated public utilities’ recovery of
   59  previously incurred or sunken costs, including what mechanisms
   60  should be used to recover these costs.
   61         (e)The effects of nonutility direct retail renewable
   62  energy sales on a regulated public utility’s obligation to serve
   63  all users of electricity within its service territory and the
   64  continued purchase by these customers of any services from the
   65  regulated public utility.
   66         (f)Projections of the effects of allowing the use of micro
   67  grids, including services provided by nonutility entities, on
   68  energy grid reliability, including what economic, safety, or
   69  reliability regulations should be applicable to nonutility
   70  operators of micro grids.
   71         (g)Emerging and projected electric technologies and
   72  concepts, including, but not limited to:
   73         1.Solar and other renewable energy;
   74         2.Sustainable energy;
   75         3.Smart grid technology;
   76         4.Energy storage;
   77         5.Electric vehicles, including their potential impact on
   78  power supply needs and overall emissions;
   79         6.Distributed-generation technologies, including their
   80  potential contribution to reliable electric supplies and their
   81  impact on the state, its environment, and its electric policies;
   82  and
   83         7.Storm hardening of the state’s electric power
   84  transmission and distribution systems.
   85         (h)Analysis of the impacts of state and local government
   86  taxes on government revenues and the electric supply.
   87         (i)The environmental impact of electricity production,
   88  generation, and transmission in the state.
   89         (3)The Public Service Commission shall provide
   90  administrative and support services related to the functions of
   91  the task force and any of its advisory committees.
   92         (4)The task force shall consist of the following members:
   93         (a)The Public Counsel, or his or her designee, who shall
   94  serve as the chair of the study task force;
   95         (b)The executive director of the Florida Public Service
   96  Commission, or his or her designee;
   97         (c)The chair of the Florida Energy Systems Consortium, or
   98  his or her designee;
   99         (d)The chief executive officer of the Florida Reliability
  100  Coordinating Council, or his or her designee; and
  101         (e)Two members of the Senate and two members of the House
  102  of Representatives, appointed by the President of the Senate and
  103  Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively.
  104         (5)The task force may establish any necessary technical
  105  advisory committees and appoint task force members to those
  106  committees.
  107         (6)The task force members and any advisory committee
  108  members shall serve without compensation, but are entitled to
  109  per diem and travel expenses pursuant to s. 112.061, Florida
  110  Statutes.
  111         (7)All state agencies shall assist and cooperate with the
  112  task force as requested by the task force or any of its advisory
  113  committees.
  114         (8)Appointments to the task force pursuant to subsection
  115  (4) must be made by July 1, 2018, and the first meeting of the
  116  task force must be held by August 1, 2018. Any vacancy occurring
  117  in the membership of the task force is to be filled in the same
  118  manner as the original appointment. The task force may not meet
  119  or take any action without a quorum present, which is a minimum
  120  of five members. Each member of the task force is entitled to
  121  one vote, and any recommendation or other action of the task
  122  force must be upon a majority vote of the entire membership of
  123  the task force.
  124         (9)The task force shall submit its recommendations to the
  125  President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
  126  Representatives, and the Governor by January 1, 2020.
  127         (10)This section expires on June 30, 2020.
  128         Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.