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.