Senate Bill sb0384

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SB 384

    By Senator Bullard





    39-366-07

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the Biomass Energy and

  3         Economic Development Program; providing

  4         definitions; directing the Department of

  5         Environmental Protection, in consultation with

  6         the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic

  7         Development, to establish a program to fund

  8         biomass energy projects; requiring a

  9         competitive process for the selection of

10         projects funded by the program; providing

11         criteria for determining project eligibility

12         and prioritizing funding of eligible projects;

13         requiring persons whose project is funded to

14         provide written reports; authorizing rulemaking

15         by the department; providing an effective date.

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17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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19         Section 1.  Biomass energy and economic development.--

20         (1)  As used in this section, the term:

21         (a)  "Biomass energy" means a source of energy that is

22  developed or deployed in this state and derived from renewable

23  organic matter.

24         (b)  "Department" means the Department of Environmental

25  Protection.

26         (c)  "Financial assistance" means funding through

27  various means, including grants, loans, or loan guarantees.

28         (d)  "Renewable organic matter" means paper and trees,

29  plants, or animal wastes that are naturally recurring and,

30  unlike fossil fuels, can be used to produce energy

31  indefinitely without diminishing in availability or abundance.

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SB 384
    39-366-07




 1         (e)  "Sponsor" means the person or group of persons

 2  that seeks or receives funding for a project under this

 3  section.

 4         (2)  The department, in consultation with the Office of

 5  Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development, shall establish the

 6  Biomass Energy and Economic Development Program. The purpose

 7  of the program is to stimulate the development and deployment

 8  of biomass energy in a manner that provides widespread

 9  economic benefits in this state, including more jobs,

10  increased business and educational opportunities, and enhanced

11  energy self-sufficiency, by a reduced reliance on imported

12  fossil fuels. The department shall administer the program as

13  provided in this section.

14         (3)  Using funding that is available from state or

15  federal sources, the Biomass Energy and Economic Development

16  Program shall provide financial assistance to eligible

17  projects that are selected through a competitive-procurement

18  process.

19         (a)  Program funds may not be used for conferences, for

20  organizational support, or to support a project or phase of a

21  project if the financing for that project was secured or

22  otherwise approved before July 1, 2007. To be eligible for

23  funding, a project must:

24         1.  Assist with achieving the purpose of the program as

25  stated in subsection (2).

26         2.  Have a sponsor whose technical and financial

27  experience and credentials are appropriate to successfully

28  undertake and complete the project.

29         3.  Be proposed for completion within 2 years, or such

30  other period as the department specifies by rule. A

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SB 384
    39-366-07




 1  longer-term project may be divided into shorter phases that

 2  are evaluated as separate projects.

 3         4.  Produce biomass energy.

 4         5.  Specify deliverables and have a work plan and

 5  budget that are feasible and complete.

 6         6.  Achieve other goals that are consistent with the

 7  purpose of the program as stated in subsection (2) and adopted

 8  by rule of the department.

 9         (b)  In selecting eligible projects, the department

10  shall give priority to new biomass energy projects that:

11         1.  Leverage significant commercial, institutional,

12  financial, or technical resources.

13         2.  Have demonstration value that will accelerate the

14  commercial deployment of biomass energy.

15         3.  Coordinate initiatives within the State University

16  System involving the research, development, demonstration, and

17  deployment of biomass energy.

18         4.  Build technical and financial capability for

19  biomass energy within a region.

20         5.  Foster sustainable development in rural areas of

21  this state.

22         6.  Are not otherwise easily fundable.

23         7.  Achieve other goals that are consistent with the

24  purpose of the program as stated in subsection (2) and adopted

25  by rule of the department.

26         (4)  Each sponsor receiving funds under this section

27  shall provide to the department an annual written report that

28  describes the activities conducted, the project participants,

29  the benefits resulting in comparison to the initial project

30  goals and objectives, and the events that significantly

31  affected the outcome, including a full accounting of the

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SB 384
    39-366-07




 1  income and expenditures of the project which specifies the

 2  expenditure of funds received under this section. If a project

 3  or portion of a project is completed in less than 1 year, the

 4  report must be provided within 3 months after completion.

 5         (5)  The department may adopt rules to administer this

 6  section.

 7         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

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10                          SENATE SUMMARY

11    Provides for establishment of the Biomass Energy and
      Economic Development Program by the Department of
12    Environmental Protection in consultation with the Office
      of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development. Requires a
13    competitive process for the selection of projects funded
      by the program. Provides criteria for determining project
14    eligibility and prioritizing funding of eligible
      projects. Requires persons whose project is funded to
15    provide written reports. Authorizes rulemaking by the
      department.
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