Senate Bill sb1492

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1492

    By the Committee on Communication and Public Utilities





    319-1122-04

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to renewable energy; creating

  3         s. 366.91, F.S.; providing a short title;

  4         creating s. 366.92, F.S.; providing legislative

  5         findings; creating s. 366.93, F.S.; providing

  6         definitions; creating s. 366.94, F.S.;

  7         authorizing the Public Service Commission to

  8         require public utilities to offer a purchase

  9         contract to facilities that produce qualified

10         renewable resources; providing requirements for

11         such contracts; providing for cost recovery;

12         creating s. 366.95, F.S.; providing for sales

13         of renewable energy to a utility other than the

14         host utility; creating s. 366.96, F.S.;

15         authorizing the commission to adopt rules;

16         requiring a report to the Legislature;

17         providing an effective date.

18  

19  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

20  

21         Section 1.  Section 366.91, Florida Statutes, is

22  created to read:

23         366.91  Short title.--Sections 366.91-366.96 may be

24  cited as the "Renewable Electric Energy Production Act."

25         Section 2.  Section 366.92, Florida Statutes, is

26  created to read:

27         366.92  Legislative findings.--The Legislature finds

28  that it is in the public interest to promote the development

29  of renewable electric resources in this state. Renewable

30  electric resources have the potential to help diversify

31  Florida's growing dependency on natural gas for electric

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1492
    319-1122-04




 1  production, minimize the volatility of fuel costs, encourage

 2  investment within this state, improve environmental

 3  conditions, and make Florida a leader in new and innovative

 4  technologies. However, the Legislature acknowledges that, at

 5  this time, renewable electric resources cost more than

 6  traditional generating technologies and fuels. Therefore, the

 7  deployment of greater renewable electric resources must be

 8  balanced against any adverse impacts on electric rates. To

 9  balance these objectives, the Legislature authorizes the

10  Public Service Commission to require public utilities to make

11  available a renewable generation contract for purposes of

12  encouraging greater deployment of renewable electric

13  resources.

14         Section 3.  Section 366.93, Florida Statutes, is

15  created to read:

16         366.93  Definitions.--As used in ss. 366.91-366.96, the

17  term:

18         (1)  "Biomass" means a power source that is comprised

19  of, but not limited to, combustible residues or gasses from

20  forest products manufacturing, agricultural and orchard crops,

21  waste products from livestock and poultry operations and food

22  processing, urban wood waste, municipal solid waste, municipal

23  liquid waste treatment operations, and landfill gas.

24         (2)  "Commission" means the Public Service Commission.

25         (3)  "Public utility" has the same meaning as provided

26  in s. 366.02.

27         (4)  "Qualified renewable resource" means energy

28  produced from any method or process that uses one or more of

29  the following sources of energy: fuel cells, biomass, solar

30  electric, municipal solid waste, geothermal energy, wind

31  energy, ocean thermal gradient power, hydroelectric power,

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1492
    319-1122-04




 1  landfill gas, agricultural products and by-products, and waste

 2  heat from exothermic reactions.

 3         Section 4.  Section 366.94, Florida Statutes, is

 4  created to read:

 5         366.94  Renewable generation contracts.--The Public

 6  Service Commission may require public utilities to offer to

 7  facilities that produce qualified renewable resources a

 8  renewable generation contract that allows such facilities to

 9  sell any electric output to any public utility in this state.

10  Such a contract may contain payment provisions that are above

11  a utility's full avoided cost, as defined in s. 366.051. The

12  contract must provide for capacity and energy payments based

13  on the construction and operation of utility-owned generating

14  facilities that provide for fuel diversity and fuel-cost

15  stabilization for that public utility. The commission shall

16  establish standards relating to the terms, conditions, and

17  payment schedules of such contracts to reflect the actual

18  operational performance and capacity factors associated with a

19  utility-owned generating facility that provides for fuel

20  diversity and fuel-cost stabilization. The commission may

21  adjust capacity payment schedules according to the extent that

22  operational performance and capacity factors of a facility

23  producing qualified renewable resources differ from the

24  performance and capacity factors of a utility generating unit.

25  Each contract must provide a minimum contract term of 5 years

26  and be approved by the commission. Prudent and reasonable

27  costs associated with a renewable generation contract may be

28  recovered from the ratepayers of the contracting utility. The

29  commission may periodically review and establish new payment

30  schedules, identify the most current selected utility-owned

31  generating unit that provides for fuel diversity and fuel-cost

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1492
    319-1122-04




 1  stabilization, and review the terms and conditions for

 2  prospective renewable generation contracts to minimize the

 3  cost impacts of such contracts on ratepayers.

 4         Section 5.  Section 366.95, Florida Statutes, is

 5  created to read:

 6         366.95  Transmission.--A facility that produces

 7  qualified renewable resources may elect to sell its electric

 8  output to a utility outside the service territory of the host

 9  utility in which the facility is geographically located. Any

10  costs for transmitting such output to another utility shall be

11  borne by the facility requesting the transmission.

12         Section 6.  Section 366.96, Florida Statutes, is

13  created to read:

14         366.96  Rulemaking.--The commission may adopt rules to

15  administer ss. 366.91-366.96.

16         Section 7.  The Public Service Commission shall submit

17  a report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the

18  House of Representatives by October 1, 2009, describing the

19  amount of renewable generation that has been developed in

20  Florida and estimating the economic effect of such development

21  on the state.

22         Section 8.  This act shall take effect October 1, 2004.

23  

24            *****************************************

25                          SENATE SUMMARY

26    Creates the "Renewable Electric Energy Production Act."
      Authorizes the Public Service Commission to require
27    public utilities to offer renewable generation contracts
      to facilities that produce certain specified renewable
28    energy resources. Requires the commission to establish
      contract terms and payment schedules. Provides for a
29    utility to recover its costs under such a contract.
      Authorizes the commission to adopt rules. (See bill for
30    details.)

31  

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