Pinellas County will terminate an agreement with Duke Energy amid increasing criticism surrounding rising utility costs.
Commissioners passed a resolution Tuesday ending the county’s participation in Duke’s Clean Energy Connection program. Subscribers pay a monthly $8.35 per kilowatt fee to help pay for solar facilities and, eventually, save money on bills.
A company representative said residential participants pay about $14 annually and do not receive any financial benefits for 12 years. The resolution, introduced by Commissioner Vince Nowicki, states that “savings fail to account for the time value of money, inflation and rising energy prices, rendering the program fiscally inefficient.”
ALSO READ: Floridians saved hundreds of millions of dollars in renewable tax credits for 2023
“This resolution doesn’t ban clean energy, it doesn’t put the issue to bed,” Nowicki said. “It simply withdraws us from this program, which gives us no guarantee.
“I think we have a duty to look at this through the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) lens that this board passed 6 to 1 just a few weeks ago.”
Pinellas joined the program in 2022 and spent $3.7 million in fees to generate $3.2 million in credits last year. Multiple commissioners bemoaned the lack of a return on investment.
St. Petersburg-based Duke Energy Florida representatives stressed that the initiative provides environmental benefits. One compared the time to receive savings to planting a tree that will eventually provide shade.
Nowicki noted that the person would own the tree, unlike Duke’s solar arrays. Pinellas will formally exit the program Oct. 1.
Commission Chair Brian Scott said he was “on the fence” about terminating the agreement, as the county has already invested in the long-term program. He and others requested a more extensive discussion at a work session.
However, Commissioner Renee Flowers provided the lone “no” vote. “Before I could support anything that would take a step back, I would like for us to have not just a soft conversation, but a true conversation, about the directions that we’re going,” she said.
While the resolution does not ban clean energy, it does prohibit county officials from purchasing electric vehicles without first presenting a comprehensive financial analysis to the commission. They must “clearly demonstrate the fiscal benefits of the proposed acquisition, including projected savings on maintenance and long-term operational costs.”
Commissioner Dave Eggers expressed concern about “pendulum swings” at the state and federal levels. “I don’t want to be part of an effort that makes it swing too far the other way,” he said.
He, like Flowers, noted that the county government will move into a new facility, and it could make sense to add a solar array. Eggers said he does not want residents to think commissioners oppose clean energy efforts.
The resolution states that Pinellas will reallocate program funding to “fiscally sound investments that prioritize operational savings, including conventional infrastructure upgrades.” Commissioners will prioritize “financial outcomes over symbolic compliance.”
Their approval also negates the county’s clean energy goals, as foregoing fossil fuels by 2050 does not align with “fiscal realities, infrastructure capacity, or long-term operational priorities.” Instead, Pinellas will focus on “financially sound, scalable and measurable” energy strategies that ensure “taxpayer resources are directed toward initiatives with proven value.”
Nowicki is not the area’s first elected official to question Duke’s Clean Energy Connection program. St. Petersburg City Councilmember Richie Floyd called it “convoluted” in May 2024.
“I don’t understand how the shares are done; I don’t know what the outcome is going to be,” Floyd said. “I’m not personally comfortable with investing in that … so it makes me skeptical on the city side, as well.”
However, Alison Mihalich, the city’s former sustainability and resilience director, called the program a “powerful tool” to help achieve the city’s clean energy goals. Commissioners agreed Tuesday to discuss utilizing alternative energy sources in the coming months.
