ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — A coalition in St. Petersburg is hoping to energize a movement to send Duke Energy packing.
“St. Pete will face a monumental decision,” said Jason Scott, with Dump Duke, who is part of the coalition called Public Power St. Pete.
Public Power St. Pete is aiming to gather more than 16,000 signatures to their petition to add an item on the ballot that would let voters make the decision whether to keep Duke Energy or have their utilities handled by the city.
“At its core this is a ‘David versus Goliath’ story where we’re taking on an entrenched corporation with immense resources in order to win,” said Anamika Naidu with Youth Action Fund. “While Duke Energy may have the money to win, we have the people.”
The City of St. Pete hasn’t renewed their agreement with Duke Energy since it expired on July 31.
The city is funding a study to see how possible it would be to take over the responsibility themselves. They say it will be complete towards the end of 2027.
“Everything’s in place for them to collect their petitions and ultimately if we get the results back and their petition gathering is going well then we’ll probably have a conversation about if this is the right thing to do,” said Richie Floyd, vice-chair of St. Pete City Council.
The group says they’re pushing for city-owned power for more affordable rates and more control over how that energy is produced and managed.
“It’s been probably one of the easier pitches to make, asking people, ‘Do you like your electric bill?'” said Marley Price with Dump Duke. “The answer almost always is, ‘No.'”
Duke energy says they commissioned their own study where they conclude it would cost the city between 2.7 and 4.1 billion dollars to take over.
They sent a statement to our newsroom saying the switch would be ‘unaffordable and irresponsible’ adding, “Our residents deserve a clear understanding of the costs, risks and long term implications of this unprecedented proposal.”
The full statement is as follows.
This study makes clear a government takeover of St. Petersburg’s electric service is unaffordable and irresponsible. Our residents deserve a clear understanding of the costs, risks, and long-term implications of this unprecedented proposal. A government takeover could cost as much as $4 billion and our customers would ultimately be asked to shoulder the burden through higher taxes and increased fees or worse, a reduction in public services. Duke Energy Florida and its predecessors have delivered cost-effective, reliable, electric service for decades and we are committed to continue providing the same level of service as the city learns more about the risks of this proposal.
Vice Chair Richie Floyd says other municipalities in the state have made a switch to city-run utilities, naming Orlando and Tallahassee.
The City released a statement about the feasibility study, which is being initiated now.
The feasibility study will include a high-level initial evaluation of the financial, technical, operational, regulatory, and legal implications of transitioning to an Municipal Electric Utility (MEU). The project team will conduct interviews to gather input on community objectives, concerns, and priorities related to the potential MEU. The project team will also conduct community meetings and outreach efforts to gather public feedback. The project team also plans to present at public meetings, commission meetings, and community forums to inform residents on the study, provide updates, and respond to questions.
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