City leaders voted 2-1 to draft a plan asking for study proposals – a move that could end St. Petersburg’s 100-year relationship with Duke Energy in 2026.
Families saw their power bills jump 11% from 2023 to 2024, pushing rates way above Florida’s average. This increase sparked more calls from residents to break away from Duke.
“I’ve been having some conversations behind the scenes with some concerned residents and stakeholders that do not want us to just rubber stamp a new agreement. They want council involved… They want us to look at alternatives – actually running our own municipal [utility],” said Councilmember Brandi Gabbard to the St. Petersburg City Council…