Florida Senate - 2022                                    SB 1562
       
       
        
       By Senator Ausley
       
       
       
       
       
       3-01706-22                                            20221562__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to solar photovoltaic facility
    3         development; providing a short title; directing the
    4         Department of Environmental Protection, in
    5         coordination with the Office of Energy within the
    6         Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, to
    7         conduct a study of brownfield sites and closed
    8         landfill sites to determine viable locations for
    9         redevelopment as solar photovoltaic facilities;
   10         providing study requirements; directing the department
   11         to submit a report to the Governor, Legislature,
   12         Florida Public Service Commission, and regional
   13         planning council chairs by a specified date; providing
   14         an effective date.
   15          
   16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   17  
   18         Section 1. (1) This act may be cited as the “Brownfields to
   19  Brightfields Act.”
   20         (2) The Department of Environmental Protection, in
   21  coordination with the Office of Energy within the Department of
   22  Agriculture and Consumer Services, shall conduct a study of
   23  brownfield sites, as defined in s. 288.107(1)(b), Florida
   24  Statutes, and closed landfill sites to determine viable sites
   25  for redevelopment as solar photovoltaic facilities.
   26         (3) The study must include, at a minimum:
   27         (a) A list of brownfield sites and closed landfill sites
   28  with potential for redevelopment as solar photovoltaic
   29  facilities, divided into high, medium, and low potential. The
   30  list must be based on:
   31         1. Site characteristics including physical, legal, and
   32  zoning barriers to redevelopment.
   33         2. Proximity to existing energy generation and transmission
   34  infrastructure.
   35         3. Proximity to current and projected population centers.
   36         4. Environmental justice considerations, including, but not
   37  limited to, the interim final recommendations of the National
   38  Environmental Justice Advisory Council dated May 13, 2021.
   39         (b) An assessment of the potential and logistics for solar
   40  energy generation from a diverse subset of high to medium
   41  potential sites for redevelopment, including a cost-benefit
   42  analysis. Potential sites must vary in lot size, geographic
   43  proximity to current and projected population centers, and
   44  geographic region.
   45         (c) An analysis of the potential costs and benefits of
   46  installing solar photovoltaic facilities to adjacent
   47  communities.
   48         (d) A list of recommended local and state policy changes to
   49  facilitate the redevelopment of brownfield and landfill sites
   50  into solar photovoltaic facilities.
   51         (4) The department shall submit a report on the findings
   52  and recommendations of the study to the Governor, the President
   53  of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the
   54  Florida Public Service Commission, and the chairs of each
   55  regional planning council by August 1, 2023.
   56         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.