Lucas Stone, a Florida resident, expressed concerns over a study supporting Clearwater’s efforts to separate from Duke Energy. He said that the study relies on flawed assumptions that could distort projected costs. Stone made these comments in a public Facebook post.
“I want this to make sense, but it doesn’t, and I’m worried it’ll end up costing us more,” said Stone, according to Facebook. “The study is pretty sloppy, it assumes Clearwater can just absorb unincorporated enclaves without annexation, county approval, or owner consent. That inflates the customer base and revenue, so the numbers can’t be trusted.”
Clearwater is currently evaluating whether to terminate its long-standing franchise with Duke Energy Florida and potentially acquire Duke’s electric distribution system. According to Duke Energy, the system is “not for sale,” which means any attempt by Clearwater could lead to an eminent-domain process that may take years. The city is using a feasibility study to assess whether municipalization is financially viable.
The $500,000 feasibility study conducted by Clearwater indicates it cannot guarantee savings, with total costs potentially ranging from 50% below to 100% above its estimate. In contrast, Duke Energy’s independent analysis suggests potential direct costs could exceed $1 billion, far surpassing the city’s projections. Winter Park’s municipalization effort, often used as a comparison, ultimately cost $42 million—more than double its original estimate.
Winter Park is frequently cited as a model for municipalization; however, its takeover was much smaller in scale and cost compared to Clearwater’s proposed effort. The city eventually paid $42 million, significantly higher than the initial $16 million estimate, and required early rate adjustments to maintain liquidity. This makes a direct comparison to Clearwater’s billion-dollar acquisition scenario misleading.
Stone participated in the public discussion regarding Clearwater’s potential city-run electric utility. He focused on the assumptions and cost projections in the city’s feasibility study and shared his concerns in response to local reporting on the proposal.
