Florida Senate - 2020 SB 144
By Senator Brandes
24-00158-20 2020144__
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 President
21 of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
22 Representatives, and the Governor by a specified date;
23 providing an expiration date; providing an effective
24 date.
25
26 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
27
28 Section 1. (1) The Energy 2040 Task Force, a task force as
29 defined in s. 20.03(8), Florida Statutes, is created within the
30 Public Service Commission to project this state’s electric
31 energy needs over the next 20 years and determine how best to
32 meet those needs in an efficient, affordable, and reliable
33 manner while increasing competition and consumer choice and
34 ensuring adequate electric reserves.
35 (2) Based on these projections and determinations, the task
36 force shall recommend appropriate electric policies for the
37 state, including any necessary statutory changes. In making its
38 projections and determinations, the task force shall consider
39 all relevant topics, including, but not limited to:
40 (a) Forecasts through the year 2040 of this state’s
41 population growth, electricity needs, and electric supply, and
42 the expected diversity of fuels and their sources for use in the
43 state.
44 (b) Projections of the effects of allowing nonutility
45 retail sales of renewable energy, including determinations and
46 recommendations on what types of fuels and technologies should
47 be included in the definition of the term “renewable energy” and
48 what criteria, including restrictions, should be required of
49 entities considered nonutility retail renewable energy
50 producers. For purposes of this section, solar technologies are
51 considered renewable energy.
52 (c) The rights of and obligations between a nonutility
53 direct retail renewable energy producer and its customers,
54 including whether such rights and obligations should be a matter
55 of contract or subject to oversight or regulation by the Public
56 Service Commission and whether the courts or the commission
57 should resolve any disputes.
58 (d) The effects of nonutility direct retail renewable
59 energy sales on regulated public utilities’ recovery of
60 previously incurred or sunken costs, including what mechanisms
61 should be used to recover these costs.
62 (e) The effects of nonutility direct retail renewable
63 energy sales on a regulated public utility’s obligation to serve
64 all users of electricity within its service territory and these
65 customers’ continued purchase of any services from the regulated
66 public utility.
67 (f) Projections of the effects of allowing the use of micro
68 grids, including services provided by nonutility entities, on
69 energy grid reliability and what economic, safety, or
70 reliability regulations should apply to nonutility operators of
71 micro grids.
72 (g) Emerging and projected electric technologies and
73 concepts, including, but not limited to:
74 1. Solar and other renewable energy;
75 2. Sustainable energy;
76 3. Smart grid technology;
77 4. Energy storage;
78 5. Electric vehicles, including their potential impact on
79 power supply needs and overall emissions;
80 6. Distributed generation technologies, including their
81 potential contribution to reliable electric supplies and their
82 impact on this state, its environment, and its electric
83 policies; and
84 7. Storm hardening of this state’s electric power
85 transmission and distribution systems.
86 (h) Analysis of the impacts of state and local government
87 taxes on government revenues and the electric supply.
88 (i) The environmental impact of electricity production,
89 generation, and transmission in this state.
90 (3) The Public Service Commission shall provide
91 administrative and support services related to the functions of
92 the task force and any of its advisory committees.
93 (4) The task force consists of the following members:
94 (a) The Public Counsel, or his or her designee, who shall
95 serve as the chair of the task force;
96 (b) The executive director of the Public Service
97 Commission, or his or her designee;
98 (c) The chair of the Florida Energy Systems Consortium, or
99 his or her designee;
100 (d) The chief executive officer of the Florida Reliability
101 Coordinating Council, or his or her designee; and
102 (e) Two members of the Senate and two members of the House
103 of Representatives, appointed by the President of the Senate and
104 the Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively.
105 (5) The task force may establish any necessary technical
106 advisory committees and appoint task force members to those
107 committees.
108 (6) The task force members and any advisory committee
109 members shall serve without compensation, but are entitled to
110 per diem and travel expenses pursuant to s. 112.061, Florida
111 Statutes.
112 (7) All state agencies shall assist and cooperate with the
113 task force as requested by the task force or any of its advisory
114 committees.
115 (8) Appointments to the task force pursuant to subsection
116 (4) must be made by July 1, 2020, and the first meeting of the
117 task force must be held by August 1, 2020. Any vacancy occurring
118 in the membership of the task force is to be filled in the same
119 manner as the original appointment. The task force may not meet
120 or take any action without a quorum present, which is a minimum
121 of five members. Each member of the task force is entitled to
122 one vote, and any recommendation or other action of the task
123 force must be upon a majority vote of the entire membership of
124 the task force.
125 (9) The task force shall submit its recommendations to the
126 President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
127 Representatives, and the Governor by January 1, 2022.
128 (10) This section expires on June 30, 2022.
129 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.