Florida Senate - 2021                                    SB 1360
       
       
        
       By Senator Cruz
       
       
       
       
       
       18-01543-21                                           20211360__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the energy security and disaster
    3         resilience pilot program; creating s. 377.817, F.S.;
    4         creating the pilot program within the Department of
    5         Agriculture and Consumer Services; providing the
    6         purpose of the pilot program; defining terms;
    7         providing for the issuance of grants to offset costs
    8         relating to onsite solar energy storage systems for
    9         certain facilities; providing requirements for the
   10         application process; directing the department to
   11         conduct or contract to conduct a specified study,
   12         publish the study on its website, and provide copies
   13         of the study to the Governor and Legislature;
   14         authorizing the department to adopt rules; providing
   15         for expiration of the pilot program; providing an
   16         appropriation; providing an effective date.
   17          
   18  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   19  
   20         Section 1. Section 377.817, Florida Statutes, is created to
   21  read:
   22         377.817Energy security and disaster resilience pilot
   23  program.—
   24         (1)PROGRAM CREATION AND PURPOSE.—There is created within
   25  the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services an energy
   26  security and disaster resilience pilot program. The purpose of
   27  the pilot program is to:
   28         (a) Encourage and demonstrate the effectiveness of
   29  distributed energy generation and energy storage technologies to
   30  provide for the energy needs of critical disaster resilience
   31  facilities during a natural disaster or declared state of
   32  emergency.
   33         (b) Study and assess the effectiveness of grants for
   34  distributed energy generation and energy storage technologies
   35  throughout the state to improve the security of the state’s
   36  energy resources and enhance preparedness and resilience for a
   37  natural disaster or declared state of emergency.
   38         (2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
   39         (a) “Critical disaster resilience facility” means:
   40         1. Emergency operations centers or other buildings owned by
   41  a state, county, or municipal government agency and designated
   42  by appropriate authorities as a place of community refuge to be
   43  made available to provide temporary shelter and housing to
   44  citizens during a natural disaster or declared state of
   45  emergency.
   46         2. Hospitals, assisted living facilities, and other public
   47  health facilities needed to provide health services following a
   48  natural disaster or declared state of emergency.
   49         3. Airports, ports, and other transportation facilities
   50  needed for evacuation and critical transportation needs in
   51  preparation for and in response to a natural disaster or
   52  declared state of emergency.
   53         4. Facilities needed for personnel and services related to
   54  emergency management, law enforcement, public safety, fire and
   55  rescue, and first responders in response to a natural disaster
   56  or declared state of emergency.
   57         5. Wastewater facilities, stormwater management facilities,
   58  and drinking water systems needed for public health and safety
   59  in response to a natural disaster or declared state of
   60  emergency.
   61         6. Buildings housing state, county, or municipal government
   62  agencies providing services related to disaster preparedness or
   63  response.
   64         (b) “Department” means the Department of Agriculture and
   65  Consumer Services.
   66         (c) “Eligible costs” means 30 percent of all direct capital
   67  and labor costs associated with the purchase and installation of
   68  an onsite solar energy storage system.
   69         (d) “Onsite solar energy storage system” means a solar
   70  photovoltaic generation device or system that is paired with an
   71  electricity storage device or system that:
   72         1. Is located on a critical disaster resilience facility’s
   73  premises and used primarily to offset all or part of the
   74  facility’s onsite electrical load or to provide backup energy in
   75  the event of a utility electrical outage.
   76         2. Is capable of being isolated from the electric grid and
   77  operating independently during a utility electrical outage.
   78         3. Has sufficient battery storage capacity to supply at
   79  least 24 hours of backup power to meet the critical disaster
   80  resilience facility’s onsite electrical load or at least 5 hours
   81  of the facility’s average daily usage of electricity.
   82         (3) GRANTS.—The department shall establish a program to
   83  issue grants to offset costs for the purchase or lease and
   84  installation of onsite solar energy storage systems to serve
   85  critical disaster resilience facilities.
   86         (4) APPLICATION PROCESS.—
   87         (a) An applicant seeking a grant, including an owner or
   88  installer of the onsite solar energy storage system applying on
   89  behalf of a critical disaster resilience facility, must submit
   90  an application to the department by a specified date as
   91  determined by the department. The application must require a
   92  complete description of all eligible costs, proof of purchase or
   93  lease of the onsite solar energy storage system for which the
   94  applicant is seeking a grant, and any other information deemed
   95  necessary by the department.
   96         (b) The department shall determine the grant eligibility of
   97  each applicant pursuant to this section and department rule. The
   98  total amount of grants issued to eligible applicants may not
   99  exceed the amount appropriated for the pilot program. Grants
  100  must be issued to eligible applicants on a competitive basis,
  101  based on selection criteria developed by the department.
  102         (5) ENERGY STORAGE AND RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES STUDY.—
  103         (a) The department shall conduct or contract with a third
  104  party to conduct a study on the effectiveness of using solar
  105  energy storage technologies and other renewable energy
  106  generation and storage technologies.
  107         (b) The study must include an assessment of the
  108  effectiveness of solar energy storage technologies pursuant to
  109  the pilot program, based on factors that may include public
  110  health and safety, disaster preparedness and resilience, capital
  111  investment, net customer savings, net utility savings or
  112  deferred investments, net job creation, impact on utility
  113  service rates and service quality, and any other factors related
  114  to the use of such technologies.
  115         (c) The study must include all of the following:
  116         1. Identification of existing policies relating to the use
  117  of solar energy storage technologies and other renewable energy
  118  generation and storage technologies.
  119         2. Recommendations for expanding the pilot program as a
  120  statewide energy security and disaster resilience policy.
  121         3. Recommendations for statewide utility and state and
  122  local planning and procurement policies that will provide net
  123  benefits from the use of solar energy storage technologies and
  124  other renewable energy generation and storage technologies.
  125         (d) By December 31, 2022, the department shall publish the
  126  results of the study on its website and provide copies of the
  127  study to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
  128  Speaker of the House of Representatives.
  129         (6) RULES.—The department may adopt rules to administer
  130  this section.
  131         (7) PILOT PROGRAM EXPIRATION.—This section expires on
  132  January 1, 2024.
  133         Section 2. For the 2021-2022 fiscal year, the sum of $10
  134  million in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the General
  135  Revenue Fund to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
  136  Services for the purpose of funding the energy security and
  137  disaster resilience pilot program created by this act. The
  138  department may use up to $100,000 to administer the pilot
  139  program and shall use up to $150,000 to conduct or contract with
  140  a third party to conduct the energy storage and renewable energy
  141  resources study.
  142         Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.