Frustrated by Duke Energy's opposition to promoting alternative energy — specifically solar power — a group of around 80 people gathered for a festive "Pitchfork Protest" in St. Petersburg's Williams Park today, directly across the street from Duke's corporate headquarters.
Concerns about the intensity of the protest led the organizers of the event, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, to hire two off-duty St. Petersburg police officers, while Duke Energy hired an off-duty police officer of its own. But it was a mellow affair, with the only intensity coming from some of the rhetoric of the speakers.
Susan Glickman, Florida Director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy answered the question that she said everyone was asking her: why pitchforks?
"It represents anger. It represents frustration. And it represents the people who have no choice and are backed into a corner by their political leaders," she said, leading off a series of speakers who addressed the audience, many of whom were carrying red plastic pitchforks.
Organizers incentivized citizens to attend by promising them a "refund" of $3.45 if they brought along a copy of their electric bill — the same amount as the monthly fee that Duke charges its customers for the never-constructed nuclear projects.
Mary Wilkerson, owner of Gulfside Resorts in Indian Rocks Beach, said she was disgusted with Duke's intransigence in providing solar options for small businesses like hers. Company officials have often said that solar isn't reliable in Florida because of "cloud cover."
"That is some B.S." she said, moments before she took the stage. "They must get that in their training, because I hear that from every person I talked to at Duke. 'What about a cloudy day?' It's a travesty. We're the Sunshine State."
Coquina Key resident Stewart Garner said the backside of his home is exposed to the sun each and every day, and says it'd be perfect for solar panels. "I think it's a shame," he said of Duke's reluctance to embrace solar.
"A lot of people ask me how is solar in Florida?" said Bill Johnson with Brilliant Harvest, LLC., a state certified solar contractor serving southwest and central Florida out of Sarasota. "I tell them solar is coming to Florida. It's not a question of 'if,' it's a question of 'when,' because solar is getting less expensive every year."
Johnson said solar prices have dropped 80 percent since 2000, and solar panels have dropped a full 50 percent from 2012 to 2013 because of international competition. "That decrease in price is just starting to give people that choice about where you get your energy from."
The protest was a bipartisan affair, as has been the recent criticism of Duke amongst Pinellas County legislator and candidates.
Debbie Dooley is the Georgia Tea Party Patriots state coordinator who last visited Pinellas in January to inspire No Tax For Tracks, the anti-Greenlight activist group. But she's also a leader of the Green Tea Coalition, a Georgia-based group whose premise is that giant utility monopolies deserve at least some competition.
"I love solar," Dooley told the crowd. "I love energy choice and energy freedom, and my message is free-market conservatives do not protect monopolies for competition — we encourage competition and choice."
Elected Democrats were represented by state representative Dwight Dudley, and City Council members Darden Rice and Karl Nurse. who accused Duke of giving the city "the shaft" regarding a couple of issues, including the fact that they (and the other power utilities) hope that the Public Service Commission will soon grant their request to avoid doing any energy efficient requirements.
"If you get an energy audit from Duke Energy, assume that won't happen anymore," he said. "If you know someone who got a rebate for more efficient windows or appliances, assume that won't happen. Why is this? Because the goal is to make sure you use the maximum amount of power, so they can get their last friggin' dollar from you."
