town hall was held May 27<\/a> ahead of the Thursday vote. Council member Richie Floyd attended and spoke at the event.<\/p>\n\u201cI was 4 years old when this got signed last time,\u201d Floyd said at the Council meeting. \u201cI would like to see us do everything we can to look at our options and this is our opportunity right now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Floyd and Gabbard voted to fund the study. Council members Deborah Figgs-Sanders and Lisset Hanewicz also gave their support. However, Council members Copley Gerdes, Gina Driscoll and Mike Harting voted against the effort.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While Council member Corey Givens Jr. was in attendance, he left before the vote was taken. Givens also left the July 2025 meeting, when a Council committee approved a resolution to request bids for the study, without voting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gerdes expressed concern about the cost of creating a municipal utility and referenced the Winter Park community in Florida, which has overseen its own power since 2005.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWinter Park has 30,000 people inside of six square miles,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have 270,000 across 111 square miles. It\u2019s light years different.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harting explained that it would require a large amount of capital to start a municipal utility. The City would have to pay a significant sum of money to acquire Duke Energy\u2019s electrical assets.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Duke \u201cdoesn\u2019t want to sell,\u201d he said. As a result, the St. Petersburg government would need to pursue legal measures to gain control of the equipment. Additionally, the City will have to create a \u201ccompany that runs 24\/7\u201d and hire a team to operate the organization.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In lengthy open forum and public comment sections, many residents argued for the study.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDuke Energy is a monopoly,\u201d said resident Jorge Vazquez, \u201cand, over the course of its 30-year contract, has made our electricity more expensive. There is no competition and they know that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He explained that \u201cthis exploitation can end at the City\u2019s hands.\u201d Vazquez added that \u201cwe built this community and we deserve better.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a citizen and voter, I struggle to understand how Duke\u2019s overriding commitment to increasing shareholder value and having a monopoly can ever serve the interest of St. Pete consumers,\u201d Pamela O\u2019Connor said. \u201cIn the case of the City\u2019s contract with Duke Energy, I believe the City owes its residents an investigation into a public option.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dominic Medina added that a public utility could make electricity more affordable for St. Petersburg residents over time. He explained that \u201cmoving in the direction of municipal power is a moral and just pursuit.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThings most worth doing are hard,\u201d Medina said. \u201cChanging the system effectively will take years of effort.\u201d<\/p>\n
Resident Jerrilyn Evans spoke against the study. She believes that the St. Petersburg government has \u201cfailed to properly maintain, update and secure\u201d the City\u2019s water department. Evans added that the municipality may not \u201chave the same infrastructure in place for repairs\u201d if another major storm occurs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership CEO Jason Mathis argued that the City could better spend the money on other initiatives, such as affordable housing efforts or providing free lunches to children in need during the summer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSix hundred thousand dollars is a lot of money,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s worth asking how would this would be materially different from the Clearwater study that was just completed? Can\u2019t we extrapolate data from that? Do we need to pay full price for our own St. Pete version?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Duke Energy Florida storm director Todd Fountain believes that the company has the ability to effectively respond to damage caused by severe weather events.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring the 2024 hurricane season, we mobilized over 26,000 resources in response to Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton,\u201d he said. \u201cSimilar to the ability to mobilize resources, we also have the ability to acquire inventory, through multiple states and suppliers across the country. This includes transformers, wire, poles and all the material that\u2019s in high demand during a crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n
Duke Energy commissioned a study after the City of Clearwater began to explore the feasibility of a municipal electric utility. According to Duke\u2019s findings, it would cost the City over $1 billion <\/a>to gain control of the company\u2019s assets and provide power for approximately 120,000 residents and businesses. St. Petersburg has about twice the amount of clients.\u00a0<\/p>\nThe company will continue to serve St. Petersburg until a contract is renewed, or an alternative is selected.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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