CLEARWATER, Fla. — Clearwater City Council unanimously approved a new 30-year agreement with Duke Energy Thursday, moving the deal forward and, in doing so, rejecting the idea of a public utility service right now despite opposition from public speakers.
Council members cited careful financial stewardship and public safety as reasons for the vote.
City Councilmember David Allbritton of Seat 4 raised concerns about the risks of the city managing its own utility infrastructure.
"I don’t want to do this, and all of a sudden, you know, the City takes it over, and we have a storm like we had a couple of years ago and we can’t get any of the power lines put back up before Duke people could," Allbritton said.
Some community members supported the council's decision, pointing to broader energy market concerns.
"When we see what's happening in the Middle East with all the oil and gas, do we really want the city of Clearwater having to be responsible for our utilities?" community member Gloria Campbell said.
Opponents of the agreement remain firmly in favor of a public utility service — a path the city appeared to be considering after a study and appraisal showed customers could see reduced bills.
Jason Scott, an organizer with the group "Dump Duke," said local control is the central issue.
"I mean there's many reasons. One, number one is local control. We get to decide our energy future here in the city of Clearwater. But on top of that we have reliability and affordability issues which are top," Scott said.
Scott said they have over 4,000 sign-ups in support of public power, adding the group is calling for continued public education and plans to keep pressure on council members before the agreement is finalized.
"Luckily, we do have a few more weeks before the second reading. So we will organize community members to come and sit down one-on-one meetings with each city council member," Scott said.
City Council members will vote again on the new agreement following a second reading at a later date.
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