Florida Senate - 2021                                     SB 136
       
       
        
       By Senator Brandes
       
       
       
       
       
       24-00347-21                                            2021136__
    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         establish advisory committees; specifying that the
   11         task force and any advisory committee members will
   12         serve without compensation, but are entitled to per
   13         diem and travel expenses; requiring that state
   14         agencies assist and cooperate with the task force and
   15         any advisory committees; specifying that appointments
   16         to the task force be made by a certain date;
   17         specifying the first meeting of the task force;
   18         specifying the process for filling vacancies;
   19         specifying quorum and voting procedures; requiring the
   20         task force to submit recommendations to the Governor
   21         and the Legislature by a specified date; providing an
   22         expiration date; providing an effective date.
   23          
   24  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   25  
   26         Section 1. (1)The Energy 2040 Task Force, a task force as
   27  defined in s. 20.03(8), Florida Statutes, is created within the
   28  Public Service Commission to project this state’s electric
   29  energy needs over the next 19 years and determine how best to
   30  meet those needs in an efficient, affordable, and reliable
   31  manner while increasing competition and consumer choice and
   32  ensuring adequate electric reserves.
   33         (2)Based on these projections and determinations, the task
   34  force shall recommend appropriate electric policies for the
   35  state, including any necessary statutory changes. In making its
   36  projections and determinations, the task force shall consider
   37  all relevant topics, including, but not limited to:
   38         (a)Forecasts through the year 2040 of this state’s
   39  population growth, electricity needs, and electric supply and
   40  the expected diversity of fuels and their sources for use in
   41  this state.
   42         (b)Projections of the effects of allowing nonutility
   43  retail sales of renewable energy, including determinations and
   44  recommendations on what types of fuels and technologies should
   45  be included in the definition of the term “renewable energy” and
   46  what criteria, including restrictions, should be required of
   47  entities considered nonutility retail renewable energy
   48  producers. For purposes of this section, solar technologies are
   49  considered renewable energy.
   50         (c)The rights of and obligations between a nonutility
   51  direct retail renewable energy producer and its customers,
   52  including whether such rights and obligations should be a matter
   53  of contract or subject to oversight or regulation by the Public
   54  Service Commission and whether the courts or the commission
   55  should resolve any disputes.
   56         (d)The effects of nonutility direct retail renewable
   57  energy sales on regulated public utilities’ recovery of
   58  previously incurred or sunken costs, including what mechanisms
   59  should be used to recover these costs.
   60         (e)The effects of nonutility direct retail renewable
   61  energy sales on a regulated public utility’s obligation to serve
   62  all users of electricity within its service territory and these
   63  customers’ continued purchase of any services from the regulated
   64  public utility.
   65         (f)Projections of the effects of allowing the use of micro
   66  grids, including services provided by nonutility entities, on
   67  energy grid reliability and what economic, safety, or
   68  reliability regulations should apply to nonutility operators of
   69  micro grids.
   70         (g)Emerging and projected electric technologies and
   71  concepts, including, but not limited to:
   72         1.Solar and other renewable energy;
   73         2.Sustainable energy;
   74         3.Smart grid technology;
   75         4.Energy storage;
   76         5.Electric vehicles, including their potential impact on
   77  power supply needs and overall emissions;
   78         6.Distributed generation technologies, including their
   79  potential contribution to reliable electric supplies and their
   80  impact on this state, its environment, and its electric
   81  policies; and
   82         7.Storm hardening of this state’s electric power
   83  transmission and distribution systems.
   84         (h)Analysis of the impacts of state and local taxes on
   85  government revenues and the electric supply.
   86         (i)The environmental impact of electricity production,
   87  generation, and transmission in this state.
   88         (3)The Public Service Commission shall provide
   89  administrative and support services related to the functions of
   90  the task force and any of its advisory committees.
   91         (4)The task force consists of the following members:
   92         (a)The Public Counsel, or his or her designee, who shall
   93  serve as the chair of the task force;
   94         (b)The executive director of the Public Service
   95  Commission, or his or her designee;
   96         (c)The chair of the Florida Energy Systems Consortium, or
   97  his or her designee;
   98         (d)The chief executive officer of the Florida Reliability
   99  Coordinating Council, or his or her designee; and
  100         (e)Two members of the Senate and two members of the House
  101  of Representatives, appointed by the President of the Senate and
  102  the Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively.
  103         (5)The task force may establish any necessary technical
  104  advisory committees and appoint task force members to those
  105  committees.
  106         (6)The task force members and any advisory committee
  107  members shall serve without compensation, but are entitled to
  108  per diem and travel expenses pursuant to s. 112.061, Florida
  109  Statutes.
  110         (7)All state agencies shall assist and cooperate with the
  111  task force as requested by the task force or any of its advisory
  112  committees.
  113         (8)Appointments to the task force pursuant to subsection
  114  (4) must be made by July 1, 2021, and the first meeting of the
  115  task force must be held by August 1, 2021. Any vacancy occurring
  116  in the membership of the task force is to be filled in the same
  117  manner as the original appointment. The task force may not meet
  118  or take any action without a quorum present, which is a minimum
  119  of five members. Each member of the task force is entitled to
  120  one vote, and any recommendation or other action of the task
  121  force must be upon a majority vote of the entire membership of
  122  the task force.
  123         (9)The task force shall submit its recommendations to the
  124  Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
  125  House of Representatives by January 1, 2023.
  126         (10)This section expires on June 30, 2023.
  127         Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.