HB 1407

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to the Florida Clean Energy Technology
3	Center of Excellence; requiring the Florida Energy Office
4	in the Department of Environmental Protection to contract
5	with the Florida Technological Research and Development
6	Authority to operate the Florida Clean Energy Technology
7	Center of Excellence; providing for administration by the
8	center of a grant program to support businesses developing
9	a product or service related to energy; providing for
10	responsibilities of the center relating to a Florida
11	Hydrogen Capabilities Catalog, an annual venture forum,
12	and the promotion of alternative energy technologies;
13	requiring conformance with the powers granted to the
14	authority; providing an appropriation; providing an
15	effective date.
16
17	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19	Section 1.  The Florida Clean Energy Technology Center of
20	Excellence.--The Florida Energy Office in the Department of
21	Environmental Protection shall enter into a contract with the
22	Florida Technological Research and Development Authority,
23	whereby such authority shall operate the Florida Clean Energy
24	Technology Center of Excellence to perform the following
25	responsibilities in a manner that is consistent with the powers
26	granted to such authority under chapter 87-455, Laws of Florida:
27	(1)  Administer the Venture Smart Grant Program. The
28	Venture Smart Grant Program shall award grants of up to $50,000
29	to one or more businesses that are developing a product or
30	service related to energy. The grants awarded shall provide a
31	recipient business with the guidance and technical support
32	necessary to attract and secure investment in such product or
33	service. The guidance and support provided may include prototype
34	development, management-team recruitment, intellectual property
35	protection, or business and marketing-plan development. To
36	receive a grant, a business must be developing an energy product
37	or service for the marketplace, be a start-up or medium-sized
38	business, submit a grant application, and be selected for
39	funding by the board of directors of the authority. The board's
40	selection shall be made after the board considers the
41	recommendations of a three-member review committee that is
42	independent of the authority. The independent review committee
43	shall make its recommendations to the board following the
44	committee's review of the applications that the business
45	development managers of the Venture Smart Grant Program at the
46	authority have identified as the best prospects. The managers
47	shall make such identification by screening the applicant
48	companies in order to select the products and services that are
49	the most promising.
50	(2)  Create and maintain a Florida Hydrogen Capabilities
51	Catalog on the Internet. Such catalog shall provide a web-based
52	list of the hydrogen-related research projects that are underway
53	at the state's public and private universities, the businesses
54	in the state which are involved in the development and
55	commercialization of hydrogen energy technologies, and the
56	opportunities for state or federal grants to support development
57	and commercialization of hydrogen energy technologies.
58	(3)  Sponsor and organize an annual clean energy venture
59	forum to bring venture capital to promising companies having
60	clean energy innovations.
61	(4)  Enhance the energy security of this state and the
62	nation by reducing dependence on foreign oil as an energy source
63	by promoting the research, development, demonstration, and
64	deployment of clean energy technologies, particularly renewable
65	technologies, through the provision of traditional business-
66	incubation services and the administration of the Venture Smart
67	Grant Program as a member of the National Alliance of Clean
68	Energy Business Incubators, a group that was created in 2002 by
69	the National Renewable Energy Laboratory of the United States
70	Department of Energy to assist entrepreneurs in commercializing
71	clean energy technologies.
72	Section 2.  The sum of $400,000 is appropriated from the
73	General Revenue Fund to the Florida Energy Office in the
74	Department of Environmental Protection for the purpose of
75	funding the Florida Clean Energy Technology Center of Excellence
76	at the Florida Technological Research and Development Authority.
77	Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.