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The City of Clearwater is considering dropping Duke Energy and creating a utility service ran by the city. The council will vote this week on whether to hire a consultant to look into the logistics of a switch. Clearwater's 30-year agreement with Duke Energy is set to expire in December next year. (AP Photo)

Clearwater to consider its own utility company instead of Duke Energy

By Spectrum News Staff Pinellas County

PUBLISHED 8:09 AM ET Jul. 30, 2024 PUBLISHED 8:09 AM EDT Jul. 30, 2024

PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The City of Clearwater is considering dropping Duke Energy and creating a utility service ran by the city.

The council will vote this week on whether to hire a consultant to look into the logistics of a switch.

According to Spectrum Bay News 9 newspaper partners, the Tampa Bay Times, Clearwater's 30-year agreement with Duke Energy is set to expire in December next year.

The last city in Florida to end its relationship with an electric utility was Winter Park, back in 2005.

Winter Park City Manager Randy Knight said that their customer bills are roughly 28 percent lower than Duke customers.

The council will vote Thursday on whether to conduct a study looking into the change that would cost around $500,000 and take nine months to complete.