Florida Senate - 2022                                     SB 686
       
       
        
       By Senator Cruz
       
       
       
       
       
       18-00260-22                                            2022686__
    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 by a
   14         specified date; authorizing the department to adopt
   15         rules; providing for expiration of the pilot program;
   16         providing an appropriation; providing an effective
   17         date.
   18          
   19  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   20  
   21         Section 1. Section 377.817, Florida Statutes, is created to
   22  read:
   23         377.817Energy security and disaster resilience pilot
   24  program.—
   25         (1)PROGRAM CREATION AND PURPOSE.—There is created within
   26  the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services an energy
   27  security and disaster resilience pilot program. The purpose of
   28  the pilot program is to:
   29         (a) Encourage the implementation of and demonstrate the
   30  effectiveness of distributed energy generation and energy
   31  storage technologies to provide for the energy needs of critical
   32  disaster resilience facilities during a natural disaster or a
   33  declared state of emergency; and
   34         (b) Study and assess the effectiveness of grants for
   35  distributed energy generation and energy storage technologies to
   36  improve the security of the state’s energy resources and enhance
   37  preparedness and resilience statewide for a natural disaster or
   38  a declared state of emergency.
   39         (2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
   40         (a) “Critical disaster resilience facility” means:
   41         1. Emergency operations centers or other buildings owned by
   42  a state, county, or municipal government agency and designated
   43  by appropriate authorities as places of community refuge which
   44  may be made available to provide temporary shelter and housing
   45  to citizens during a natural disaster or a declared state of
   46  emergency;
   47         2. Hospitals, assisted living facilities, and other public
   48  health facilities that are necessary to provide health services
   49  following a natural disaster or a declared state of emergency;
   50         3. Airports, ports, and other transportation facilities
   51  necessary for evacuation and critical transportation needs in
   52  preparation for and in response to a natural disaster or a
   53  declared state of emergency;
   54         4. Facilities that are necessary for personnel and services
   55  related to emergency management, law enforcement, public safety,
   56  fire and rescue, and other first responders in response to a
   57  natural disaster or a declared state of emergency;
   58         5. Wastewater facilities, stormwater management facilities,
   59  and drinking water systems that are necessary for public health
   60  and safety in response to a natural disaster or a declared state
   61  of emergency; and
   62         6. Buildings housing state, county, or municipal
   63  governmental agencies providing services related to disaster
   64  preparedness or response.
   65         (b) “Department” means the Department of Agriculture and
   66  Consumer Services.
   67         (c) “Eligible costs” means 30 percent of all direct capital
   68  and labor costs associated with the purchase and installation of
   69  an onsite solar energy storage system.
   70         (d) “Onsite solar energy storage system” means a solar
   71  photovoltaic generation device or system that is paired with an
   72  electricity storage device or system that:
   73         1. Is located on a critical disaster resilience facility’s
   74  premises and used primarily to offset all or part of the
   75  facility’s onsite electrical load or to provide backup energy in
   76  the event of a utility electrical outage;
   77         2. Is capable of being isolated from the electric grid and
   78  operating independently during a utility electrical outage; and
   79         3. Has sufficient battery storage capacity to supply at
   80  least 24 hours of backup power to meet the critical disaster
   81  resilience facility’s onsite electrical load or at least 5 hours
   82  of the facility’s average daily usage of electricity.
   83         (3) GRANTS.—The department shall establish a program to
   84  issue grants to offset costs for the purchase or lease and
   85  installation of onsite solar energy storage systems to serve
   86  critical disaster resilience facilities.
   87         (4) APPLICATION PROCESS.—
   88         (a) An applicant seeking a grant, including an owner or
   89  installer of the onsite solar energy storage system applying on
   90  behalf of a critical disaster resilience facility, must submit
   91  an application to the department by a specified date as
   92  determined by the department. The application must include a
   93  complete description of all eligible costs, proof of purchase or
   94  lease of the onsite solar energy storage system for which the
   95  applicant is seeking a grant, and any other information deemed
   96  necessary by the department.
   97         (b) The department shall determine the grant eligibility of
   98  each applicant pursuant to this section and department rule. To
   99  the extent that funds are available, the department shall issue
  100  grants to eligible applicants on a competitive basis, based on
  101  selection criteria developed by the department. The total amount
  102  of grants issued to eligible applicants may not exceed the
  103  amount appropriated for the pilot program.
  104         (5) ENERGY STORAGE AND RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES STUDY.—
  105         (a) The department shall conduct or contract with a third
  106  party to conduct a study on the effectiveness of using solar
  107  energy storage technologies and other renewable energy
  108  generation and storage technologies.
  109         (b) The study must include an assessment of the
  110  effectiveness of solar energy storage technologies under the
  111  pilot program. The assessment must be based on factors that may
  112  include, but are not limited to, the public health and safety,
  113  disaster preparedness and resilience, capital investment, net
  114  customer savings, net utility savings or deferred investments,
  115  net job creation, and impact on utility service rates and
  116  service quality.
  117         (c) The study must include all of the following:
  118         1. Identification of existing policies relating to the use
  119  of solar energy storage technologies and other renewable energy
  120  generation and storage technologies.
  121         2. Recommendations for expanding the pilot program as a
  122  statewide energy security and disaster resilience policy.
  123         3. Recommendations for statewide utility and state and
  124  local planning and procurement policies that will provide net
  125  benefits from the use of solar energy storage technologies and
  126  other renewable energy generation and storage technologies.
  127         (d) By December 31, 2023, the department shall publish the
  128  results of the study on its website and provide copies of the
  129  study to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
  130  Speaker of the House of Representatives.
  131         (6) RULES.—The department may adopt rules to administer
  132  this section.
  133         (7) PILOT PROGRAM EXPIRATION.—This section expires on
  134  January 1, 2025.
  135         Section 2. For the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the sum of $10
  136  million in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the General
  137  Revenue Fund to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
  138  Services for the purpose of funding the energy security and
  139  disaster resilience pilot program created by this act. The
  140  department may use up to $100,000 to administer the pilot
  141  program and may use up to $150,000 to conduct or contract with a
  142  third party to conduct the energy storage and renewable energy
  143  resources study.
  144         Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.