Applicability; certification; exemptions.

(1) This act applies to each transmission line, except a transmission line certified under the Florida Electrical Power Plant Siting Act.

(2) Except as provided in subsection (1), construction of a transmission line may not be undertaken without first obtaining certification under this act, but this act does not apply to:

(a) Transmission lines for which development approval has been obtained under chapter 380.

(b) Transmission lines that have been exempted by a binding letter of interpretation issued under s. 380.06(3), or in which the Department of Commerce or its predecessor agency has determined the utility to have vested development rights within the meaning of s. 380.05(18) or s. 380.06(8).

(c) Transmission line development in which all construction is limited to established rights-of-way. Established rights-of-way include rights-of-way established at any time for roads, highways, railroads, gas, water, oil, electricity, or sewage and any other public purpose rights-of-way. If an established transmission line right-of-way is used to qualify for this exemption, the transmission line right-of-way must have been established at least 5 years before notice of the start of construction under subsection (4) of the proposed transmission line. If an established transmission line right-of-way is relocated to accommodate a public project, the date the original transmission line right-of-way was established applies to the relocated transmission line right-of-way for purposes of this exemption.

(d) Unless the applicant has applied for certification under this act, transmission lines that are less than 15 miles in length or are located in a single county within the state.

(3) The exemption of a transmission line under this act does not constitute an exemption for the transmission line from other applicable permitting processes under other provisions of law or local government ordinances.

(4) An electric utility shall notify the department in writing, before the start of construction, of its intent to construct a transmission line exempted under this section. The notice is only for information purposes, and action by the department is not required pursuant to the notice. This notice may be included in any submittal filed with the department before the start of construction demonstrating that a new transmission line complies with the applicable electric and magnetic field standards.