Mayor Ken Welch could have declined the city council’s formal request to study the feasibility of terminating St. Petersburg’s longstanding relationship with Duke Energy and replacing the conglomerate with a municipal utility.
Welch acquiesced in a memo sent to council members Friday, a day following their 5-3 vote. However, he also pitched a 10-year extension with St. Petersburg-based Duke Florida.
The city’s current 30-year contract with Duke ends in August 2026, and Welch has already discussed a new decade-long agreement with the company. He said that would provide a “reasonable window – sufficient to ensure reliable service and build the substantial capital required for municipal electric utility acquisition and operation, but not prolonged as to limit our future options.”…