Dump Duke held a press conference last Wednesday supporting a municipal takeover of St. Petersburg’s electric grid. The group said that even among investor-owned utilities, Duke Energy’s rates are exorbitant, and said investors are less responsive to customers than local elected officials are to voters.
St. Petersburg’s contract with Duke Energy is up for renewal this summer for the first time in 30 years. The city is exploring the possibility of buying local power lines from Duke Energy, then buying electricity wholesale and selling it to residents through an electric utility run by the city. This process is referred to as “municipalization.” Other Florida cities that switched experienced lower costs and fewer service interruptions, according to pro-municipalization group Dump Duke.
Dump Duke was joined by Faith in Florida, Suncoast Sierra Club, Food and Water Watch, St. Petersburg City Council Vice Chair Richie Floyd, and the Pinellas chapter of Democratic Socialists of America. Dump Duke was started by two members of Pinellas DSA and remains affiliated with the organization.
No tax increase expected
Duke-affiliated interest group Pinellas Energy Alliance says on their website that Duke would fight a buyout of the electric grid, leaving the city with debt and tax increases. Floyd said the debt would be paid off through electric bills rather than taxes, and that Duke isn’t much different…