Tag: Duke Energy
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A coalition of environmental and progressive advocacy groups launched a petition drive this week to ask voters to force the city into taking over its electric grid from Duke Energy — a move that, by the industry’s own estimate, could cost St. Petersburg residents between $2.7 billion and $4.1 billion. The group, Public Power St.…
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Duke Energy asked Florida state regulators this week to cut electric rates in January 2027 instead of raising them. The request, filed September 3 with the Florida Public Service Commission, would lower a typical residential bill for 1,000 kilowatt-hours by 71 cents from December to January. Commercial and industrial customers would see reductions between 0.8…
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A Duke Energy-commissioned study estimates it would cost St. Petersburg between $2.75 billion and $4.1 billion to seize the company’s local electric system and stand up a city-run utility. The numbers arrived as the city waits on its own $590,000 analysis and after its 30-year franchise agreement expired July 31. Concentric Energy Advisors, hired by…
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A grassroots campaign to strip Duke Energy of its decades-long grip on St. Petersburg’s power grid officially launched Wednesday, but the group behind it is glossing over a price tag that could run into the billions. The organization, calling itself “Dump Duke,” kicked off a petition drive to place a measure on the 2028 ballot…
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A grassroots group called “Dump Duke” has filed paperwork to put the question of the city’s electric utility future directly before voters, bypassing a St. Petersburg City Council that has yet to make its own decision. The filing kicks off signature gathering for a ballot measure asking residents whether the city should abandon Duke Energy…
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St. Petersburg’s utility contract with power provider Duke Energy expired more than a week ago, and City Hall still hasn’t scheduled negotiations to replace it, even as the utility publicly presses Mayor Ken Welch to sit down before the lack of an agreement turns into a legal headache. Duke sent a letter to Welch warning…
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The City of St. Petersburg’s long-running franchise agreement with Duke Energy is set to expire at midnight Friday, and the city currently has no active negotiations underway to renew it, according to Duke spokesperson Ana Gibbs. Gibbs said Duke is reviewing what the expiration will mean for both the city and the company, and that…
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Clearwater City Council members are preparing to discuss the future of the city’s electric service during a meeting scheduled for Wednesday, July 16, as leaders weigh whether to renew a long-standing agreement with Duke Energy or move toward creating a city-owned utility. The 30-year franchise agreement between Clearwater and Duke Energy expired in December 2025.…
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Florida utility regulators are weighing whether Duke Energy’s proposal for serving large artificial intelligence data centers complies with a new state law designed to prevent existing utility customers from paying the costs of expanding infrastructure for those facilities. The case is the first major test of Florida’s data center law, which took effect July 1.…
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Clearwater city leaders are weighing whether to move forward with a plan to replace Duke Energy with a city-owned electric utility, but new estimates show the transition could carry a significant price tag. According to the City of Clearwater’s municipal electric utility study, the estimated cost to acquire Duke Energy’s local distribution infrastructure is approximately…
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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…
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Duke Energy Florida customers will see lower electricity bills this month after the company implemented its third rate reduction of 2026, which took effect Monday. The latest reduction is expected to save residential customers roughly $6 per 1,000 kilowatt-hours used. Combined with two earlier reductions this year, customers’ monthly bills are now approximately $50 lower…
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As the 2026 hurricane season gets underway, Duke Energy is giving a look inside the nerve center it relies on to manage power outages across Florida. The company’s Distribution Control Center in St. Petersburg is where Duke Energy monitors the entire electric grid for the state. The room is organized by region, with staff dedicated…
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Duke Energy Florida customers will see lower electric bills this summer after state regulators approved a $90.5 million refund stemming from hurricane recovery overcharges. The Florida Public Service Commission approved the refund Tuesday after a review of final storm restoration expenses. The commission had authorized an interim storm restoration charge in February 2025 to allow…
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The City of St. Petersburg has begun accepting bids from consulting firms to conduct a feasibility study on whether the city should leave Duke Energy and establish a municipal electric utility. The study will evaluate whether a city-run utility could reduce residents’ electric bills and help St. Petersburg meet its clean energy goals, among other…
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Florida’s two major Tampa Bay-area utilities have implemented rate changes in 2026: Duke Energy lowered bills, while Tampa Electric Company (TECO) continues multi-year utility rate increases. Duke Energy Duke Energy customers saw their bills temporarily increase by approximately $7.54 per month in January and February 2026 for typical residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours. However, starting…
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Duke Energy is installing static lines across its service territory as part of efforts to reduce power outages caused by severe weather. Static lines, also called overhead shield wires or sky wires, are non-energized cables strung above traditional power lines. They act as lightning rods, intercepting lightning strikes before they can hit the energized conductors…
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Duke Energy requested that customers across Florida voluntarily reduce electricity use for 4 hours on Monday morning as cold temperatures drove power demand above normal levels. The voluntary conservation period ran from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. The company said the effort helped support the electric grid during one of the coldest mornings of the…
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Duke Energy is alerting customers about a scam falsely claiming they will experience scheduled power outages. The utility company confirmed these messages did not come from Duke Energy and urged customers to avoid clicking links or downloading attachments from unknown sources. Duke Energy advises customers who receive such communications to contact the company directly to…
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Largo city commissioners are expressing doubts about the city’s participation in a Duke Energy solar program that has already cost taxpayers more than $150,000, with questions mounting about whether the 33-year commitment will deliver promised returns. During a September 9 commission work session, several commissioners criticized the 2020 decision to join Duke Energy’s solar program,…
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Mayor Ken Welch has agreed to explore whether St. Petersburg should break from Duke Energy and create its own municipal utility—while also proposing a 10-year extension with the company. Welch outlined his stance in a memo to council members Friday, one day after they voted 5-3 to order a feasibility study. The city’s current 30-year…
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More than a year after the idea first emerged, St. Petersburg leaders have taken their first step toward exploring what it would mean to cut ties with Duke Energy as the city’s electricity provider. On July 31, the City Council’s sustainability committee voted 2-1 to draft a resolution asking Mayor Ken Welch’s administration to seek…
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Last month, Clearwater officials were caught off guard when Duke Energy Florida released a report estimating it would cost the city more than $1 billion to cut ties with the utility and establish its own power company — a figure exceeding Clearwater’s entire annual budget. The estimate came from Concentric Energy Advisors, a consulting firm…
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As energy prices climb alongside summer temperatures, Florida families struggling to keep up with rising electric bills may be eligible for federal assistance. “You know the temperatures are rising — that can absolutely mean higher energy bills for folks,” said Cherie Jacobs with Tampa Electric (TECO). Florida Commerce is offering up to $1,000 in utility…
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To support hurricane readiness efforts across the state, the Duke Energy Foundation has distributed $163,000 in emergency preparedness and resiliency grants to Florida communities. Twelve organizations—including several in Central Florida—received funding to bolster local emergency response capabilities. The grants will support a range of initiatives such as installing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces,…
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With forecasters predicting an above-average hurricane season, utility provider Duke Energy Florida is offering a rare glimpse inside its high-tech Distribution Control Center in St. Petersburg — the hub responsible for managing power outages and restoring service when major storms hit. This state-of-the-art facility operates around the clock, monitoring the electrical grid in real time…
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Duke Energy is stepping up its efforts to remain Clearwater’s primary power provider, releasing a surprise study Monday that estimates it would cost the city between $1.13 billion and $1.52 billion to take over Duke’s infrastructure and create a city-owned utility. “That study reflects their perspective, which is to be expected,” said Clearwater Mayor Bruce…
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Pinellas County is pulling out of Duke Energy’s Clean Energy Connection program following growing criticism about the lack of financial returns and rising utility expenses. On Tuesday, county commissioners voted to end their agreement with Duke Energy, ceasing participation in a program that charges subscribers $8.35 per kilowatt monthly to support the development of solar…
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Local organizers have launched the “Dump Duke” campaign, aiming to build public pressure on city officials to explore a municipal takeover of electric services. Dozens of residents gathered at Gladden Park Recreation Center recently, sitting on folding chairs and eating barbecue as they listened to activists and city leaders lay out a bold proposal: replace…
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Customers of TECO and Duke Energy across the state of Florida will see their monthly electric bills rise by approximately $20 starting this month. The rate increases come as both companies seek to recover costs from back-to-back hurricanes that caused widespread outages across the state. “Our company had to deploy 27,000 resources, including linemen, vegetation…
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In an effort to mitigate the impact on Tampa Electric Co. customers, state regulators on Tuesday approved plans for Tampa Electric and Duke Energy Florida to recover more than $1.55 billion for hurricane-related expenses and to refill storm reserves. Starting in March, customers of both utilities will face higher bills as Tampa Electric and Duke…
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The Public Service Commission is scheduled to vote today regarding rate increases for Tampa Electric Company (TECO) and Duke Energy. On December 27, 2024, both TECO and Duke Energy submitted a petition for a limited proceeding, seeking approval to implement an interim storm restoration recovery charge. Reports indicate that TECO aims to recover $463.6 million…
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Staff from the Florida Public Service Commission have recommended approving proposals that would increase monthly bills by about $21 for Duke Energy customers and $30 for Tampa Electric Co. (TECO) customers starting in March. Next week, Florida utility regulators could vote to allow Duke Energy Florida and Tampa Electric Co. to recover over $1.55 billion…
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A new collaboration aims to enhance Florida’s ecosystem. Duke Energy has joined forces with the Coastal Conservation Association of Florida (CCA Florida), unveiling their new Mariculture Center in Crystal River on Thursday morning. The two organizations have committed to a four-year partnership to support environmental restoration efforts. The marine farming facility focuses on bolstering Florida’s…
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As Florida celebrates Arbor Day on Friday, Duke Energy is taking proactive steps to prepare for hurricane season by trimming trees near power lines. The utility is also giving away 1,000 trees to emphasize the importance of planting “the right tree in the right place” to maintain reliable power. Duke Energy customers may have noticed…
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The Florida Public Service Commission has approved Duke Energy’s request to reduce rates and lower customer bills starting in January 2025. This rate reduction is part of Duke Energy’s annual fuel cost adjustment for electricity generation and other clause adjustments. According to Duke Energy, residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month will see a $9.77…
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Residents at Silver Lake Mobile Home Park in Pinellas County are still waiting for electricity nearly three weeks after Hurricane Milton knocked down power poles. While a few homes have had power restored after media outreach on Monday, many remain in the dark at Silver Lake in Lealman. Duke Energy explained that it couldn’t reconnect…
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Approximately 6,045 residences in Tampa Bay still have no electric service, 10 full days after Hurricane Milton ravaged the area. Currently, some 3,888 homes in Pinellas County and an additional 2,174 in Hillsborough County remain without power. However, this is an improvement, given that Hurricane Helene darkened around 1.2 million households in Florida, and Milton…
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Hurricane Milton left an indelible and destructive Mark on the state of Florida when it ravaged the peninsula one week ago today. Coming ashore as a strong Category 3 cyclone, storm surge rose to as much as 10 ft in Siesta Key, with shorelines to the north experiencing 5 feet. (Image credit: screenshot of Duke…
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Hurricane Milton evacuees who left days before the storm hit are discovering when walking into retail and grocery stores partially or entirely empty shelves… #PIESun
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Curiously, some neighborhoods are only partially powered, with some homes having restoration while neighbors, only across the street or the property next door remain without service… #PIESun
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While some customers will have their power restored earlier, the majority who can receive power are expected to be restored by the following days and times… #PIESun
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The aftermath of last week’s devastating tropical system continues to unfold across the southern Appalachians, with western North Carolina bearing the brunt of the catastrophe. As of Friday, search and rescue operations persist in their grim task of locating hundreds of missing individuals amidst a rising death toll that has surpassed 200, making this the…
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