St. Petersburg Local Briefing: Energy Fight, Pink Towers and Racing Spotlight

St. Petersburg, FL – February 21, 2026 – From power bills to pink buildings and a new NASCAR race, St. Pete has plenty unfolding as the weekend begins.

St. Pete weighs breaking with Duke Energy

Energy costs are emerging as a top political issue in the Tampa Bay area, and St. Petersburg is in the middle of the debate. City leaders are exploring what it would take to move away from Duke Energy when the city’s long-term contract comes up for renewal.

Advocates pushing a ‘Dump Duke’ campaign say residents are frustrated by rising bills and want the city to study creating its own electric utility. Clearwater is already appraising Duke’s local infrastructure, and St. Pete officials are watching that process closely as they consider their own options.

Pink apartments become one-day art park before demo

Downtown’s suddenly pink buildings at 4th Street and 4th Avenue South will host a short-lived art event today. A coordinated mural session is set to turn six bright pink structures into a temporary outdoor gallery before they are cleared for a 29-story luxury condo tower.

Local artists, organized by a longtime St. Pete mural crew, plan to paint from midday into the afternoon. The project gives the aging Ventnor Apartments a highly visible farewell while previewing the art-focused design planned for the future Roche Bobois residential tower on the site.

NASCAR trucks heading to the St. Pete street circuit

St. Petersburg’s waterfront course will add another major motorsports weekend to the calendar next Saturday with the inaugural OnlyBulls Green Flag 150. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event will run on the same street circuit used for the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

The 80-lap race is scheduled for February 28 and marks the series’ first visit to the city. Tourism and business leaders expect the new event to bring an early-spring bump for hotels, restaurants and downtown venues around the track.