After St. Petersburg’s agreement with Duke Energy lapsed on July 31, the utility asked the city to start working on a replacement contract — a decision that could affect residents.
City officials are not moving ahead yet. They are waiting for a study on whether St. Petersburg, Florida, could buy Duke’s local power system and handle electric service on its own.
What’s happening?
In a letter to Mayor Ken Welch, Duke told the city it wants to start talks on a new agreement and said continuing to operate without one could create legal issues, as Bay News 9 reported.
No negotiations appear to be on the calendar. Instead, the city is waiting for a study that looks at the possible cost of acquiring Duke’s local equipment and independently providing electric service…