The Brief
- St. Petersburg City Council members are scheduled to vote Thursday on a $590,000 feasibility study to explore cutting ties with Duke Energy.
- Rising power bills have pushed residents to petition local leaders to ditch the utility company for a city-run alternative.
- Duke Energy is pushing back, claiming that renewing its 30-year contract offers immediate benefits to customers.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – St. Petersburg leaders are preparing for a high-stakes vote Thursday on whether to spend $590,000 to study leaving Duke Energy and launching a city-owned power utility. The move comes as residents demand relief from skyrocketing electricity rates.
St. Petersburg power fight
What we know:
Families are feeling the financial squeeze as electricity bills climb higher across the region.
The city of St. Pete’s 30-year franchise agreement with Duke Energy expires Aug. 1. Before that deadline hits, council members will decide whether to fund an eight-to-nine-month, $590,000 feasibility study with consultant Next Gen to collect data, map out costs and project potential savings for a municipal utility.
“Number one, for me, and I think for residents, is trying to lower their cost of living. Everything’s gotten so expensive recently, and Duke charges the highest rates of any utility in the entire state,” St. Petersburg City Council member Richie Floyd, D-District 8, said.…