Duke warns St. Pete of uncertainty since franchise expired

St. Petersburg's franchise agreement with Duke Energy expired a week ago, leaving roughly $2 million in monthly city revenue and other legal protections in question as officials simultaneously explore creating a publicly owned electric utility.

In an Aug. 7 letter to Mayor Ken Welch obtained by the Catalyst, Duke said the agreement expired July 31 with no negotiations currently scheduled. The company urged St. Petersburg to begin negotiating a new franchise “as soon as practicable.”

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My Mayor 2026 – Episode 4

Welcome back to season 2 of My Mayor, the Catalyst series that helps you get to know the person behind the policy. We sat down with each candidate and asked them each the same five questions, with a few follow up questions sprinkled in. For Episode 4, we asked:

The individual episodes, with transcripts, are available on Poliverse.press.

Arts Alive podcast: American Stage’s Anthony Gervais

Dropping by the Arts Alive! studio today is Anthony Gervais, interim executive director at American Stage.

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	Clearwater officially extends its Duke Energy deal
	Trust for Public Land acquires Booker Creek Rail Corridor