The St. Petersburg City Council voted Thursday on whether to fund a $590,000 feasibility study examining whether the city should end its relationship with Duke Energy and create its own municipally owned electric utility.
The city’s 30-year franchise agreement with Duke Energy expires Aug. 1. Before that deadline, council members considered authorizing an eight- to nine-month study by the consultant Next Gen to gather data, project costs, and estimate the potential savings a city-run utility could deliver to ratepayers.
Rising electricity rates have driven the push. Council member Richie Floyd, D-District 8, said Duke charges the highest rates of any utility in Florida and pointed to cities including Key West, Orlando, and Lakeland — all of which operate their own utilities — as models that save customers an average of 20% compared to Duke.
Resident organizers with a group called the Dump Duke campaign have petitioned City Hall to explore alternatives before automatically renewing the Duke contract. Organizer Jason Scott said affordability is a major concern, but added that local control over energy infrastructure, particularly regarding hurricane resilience, is equally important to him.
Duke Energy, for its part, urged the city to renew the franchise agreement, saying in a statement that doing so would deliver immediate benefits to customers and communities and that the company remains committed to providing safe, reliable power.
Many details remain unsettled. Officials have not confirmed the cost of building and operating an independent utility network, and it is unclear how long a full transition would take if leaders ultimately decided to leave Duke after the study concluded.
Neighboring Clearwater conducted a similar study last year and found potential cost savings, though that city has not yet made a final decision on its own Duke Energy contract. Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector said he expects the city council to revisit the matter within the next 60 days.
If St. Petersburg’s council approves the funding, consultants would begin collecting data immediately, with a final report expected in roughly 8 to 9 months.
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