Florida Statute 403.502 - Full Text and Legal Analysis

The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title XXIX
PUBLIC HEALTH

Chapter 403
ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL

View Entire Chapter

F.S. 403.502

403.502 Legislative intent.—The Legislature finds that the present and predicted growth in electric power demands in this state requires the development of a procedure for the selection and utilization of sites for electrical generating facilities and the identification of a state position with respect to each proposed site and its associated facilities. The Legislature recognizes that the selection of sites and the routing of associated facilities, including transmission lines, will have a significant impact upon the welfare of the population, the location and growth of industry, and the use of the natural resources of the state. The Legislature finds that the efficiency of the permit application and review process at both the state and local level would be improved with the implementation of a process whereby a permit application would be centrally coordinated and all permit decisions could be reviewed on the basis of standards and recommendations of the deciding agencies. It is the policy of this state that, while recognizing the pressing need for increased power generation facilities, the state shall ensure through available and reasonable methods that the location and operation of electrical power plants will produce minimal adverse effects on human health, the environment, the ecology of the land and its wildlife, and the ecology of state waters and their aquatic life and will not unduly conflict with the goals established by the applicable local comprehensive plans. It is the intent to seek courses of action that will fully balance the increasing demands for electrical power plant location and operation with the broad interests of the public. Such action will be based on these premises:

(1) To assure the citizens of Florida that operation safeguards are technically sufficient for their welfare and protection.

(2) To effect a reasonable balance between the need for the facility and the environmental impact resulting from construction and operation of the facility, including air and water quality, fish and wildlife, and the water resources and other natural resources of the state.

(3) To meet the need for electrical energy as established pursuant to s. 403.519.

(4) To assure the citizens of Florida that renewable energy sources and technologies, as well as conservation measures, are utilized to the extent reasonably available.

History.—s. 1, ch. 73-33; s. 2, ch. 90-331; s. 2, ch. 2007-117; s. 66, ch. 2008-227.

F.S. 403.502 on Google Scholar

F.S. 403.502 on CourtListener

Amendments to 403.502

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases Citing Statute 403.502

Total Results: 12

Gaines v. City of Orlando

450 So. 2d 1174, 1984 Fla. App. LEXIS 12910

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: May 3, 1984 | Docket: 1433620

Cited 11 times | Published

Commission, 436 So.2d 383 (Fla. 5th DCA 1983). Section 403.502 states: The Legislature finds that the present

Tampa Elec. Co. v. Garcia

767 So. 2d 428, 2000 WL 422871

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Apr 20, 2000 | Docket: 1661622

Cited 4 times | Published

impact of power plants on the environment. See § 403.502, Fla. Stat. (1989). That Act establishes a site

Seminole Elec. Co-Op. v. Dep

985 So. 2d 615

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jun 13, 2008 | Docket: 1673616

Cited 3 times | Published

longstanding legislative intent articulated in Section 403.502, Florida Statutes, and it has not changed in

Fla. Ch. of Sierra Club v. Orlando Util. Com'n

436 So. 2d 383

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Aug 18, 1983 | Docket: 1701248

Cited 3 times | Published

legislative intent clearly spelled out in section 403.502, Florida Statutes (1981), which states in pertinent

Nassau Power Corp. v. Beard

601 So. 2d 1175, 17 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 314, 1992 Fla. LEXIS 998, 1992 WL 110902

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: May 28, 1992 | Docket: 1305440

Cited 1 times | Published

impact of power plants on the environment. See § 403.502, Fla. Stat. (1989). That Act establishes a site

Miami-Dade County v. Florida Power & Light Co.

208 So. 3d 111, 46 Envtl. L. Rep. (Envtl. Law Inst.) 20080, 2016 Fla. App. LEXIS 5953

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Apr 20, 2016 | Docket: 3055572

Published

power plants and its associated facilities. Section 403.502 describes the legislative intent, which states:

Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Hendry County

114 So. 3d 1073, 2013 WL 2494708, 2013 Fla. App. LEXIS 9265

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jun 12, 2013 | Docket: 60231740

Published

discussion of several sections of the PPSA. Section 403.502 reads: The Legislature finds that the present

Seminole Electric Cooperative, Inc. v. Department of Environmental Protection

985 So. 2d 615, 2008 Fla. App. LEXIS 8469, 2008 WL 2388020

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jun 13, 2008 | Docket: 64855161

Published

longstanding legislative intent articulated in Section 403.502, Florida Statutes, and it has not changed in

Ago

Florida Attorney General Reports | Filed: Feb 10, 1997 | Docket: 3257602

Published

Electrical Power Plant Siting Act (the act).1 Section 403.502, Florida Statutes, sets forth the Legislature's

Nassau Power Corp. v. Deason

641 So. 2d 396, 19 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 389, 1994 Fla. LEXIS 1203, 1994 WL 416711

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Aug 11, 1994 | Docket: 64750383

Published

impact of power plants on the environment. See § 403.502, Fla.Stat. (1989). That Act establishes a site

Ecodyne Cooling Division of Ecodyne Corp. v. City of Lakeland

893 F.2d 297

Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | Filed: Jan 29, 1990 | Docket: 66250752

Published

abundant, low-cost electrical energy. Fla.Stat. § 403.502. This general policy statement adverts to reasonable

City of Riviera Beach v. Florida Department of Environmental Regulation

502 So. 2d 1337, 1987 Fla. App. LEXIS 6914, 12 Fla. L. Weekly 637

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Feb 25, 1987 | Docket: 64625273

Published

Power Plant Siting Act is expressly stated in section 403.502: The legislature finds that the present and