Fresh off commissioning a $700,000 feasibility study into creating a city-owned electric utility, St. Petersburg officials are reportedly considering taking the next logical step: operating the sun.
According to a draft staff report obtained by the Catalyst, city leaders believe the Sunshine City's brand has become "increasingly disconnected from its current daylight delivery model," in which nearly all sunlight is provided by an out-of-state source.
The report concludes that "continued reliance on an external provider for one of the city's defining natural resources may no longer align with St. Petersburg's long-term strategic vision."
The proposal does not recommend immediate acquisition of the sun, but instead authorizes consultants to determine whether municipal ownership would provide greater transparency, accountability and local control over daylight.
Sunlight Municipalization Feasibility Study
Current Provider: Milky Way
Ownership: External (Out-of-State)
Age: Approximately 4.6 billion years
Service Reliability: High (weather dependent)
Reason for Study: "Residents increasingly expect the City to play a greater role in sunshine delivery."
The report identifies several opportunities for improvement under municipal management, including brighter mornings, cooler afternoons and extending Saturdays by approximately four hours.
It also recommends evaluating whether sunsets should remain publicly available or transition to a reservation-based system during peak tourist season.
Staff determined that no changes would be made without extensive public engagement.
Several community workshops are planned after sunset to maximize attendance.
Officials also explored staffing needs for the ambitious initiative.
The report recommends hiring specialists in solar generation, thermal management and nuclear fusion.
Staff briefly believed they had found that expertise in longtime Parks & Recreation employee Fusion Frank, whose nickname prompted an internal recommendation that he become the city's first Director of Solar Operations.
The offer was quietly withdrawn after Human Resources confirmed the nickname stemmed from Frank's daily Taco Bell lunch and not any background in nuclear fusion or stellar physics.
Consultants estimate the transition would require multiple advisory committees, three public workshops, two equity assessments and a branding study.
A second consultant would then determine whether another consultant should oversee implementation.
Risk Assessment
The report also recommends creating a new Department of Atmospheric Assets to oversee daily operations.
Its responsibilities would include sunrise scheduling, seasonal daylight allocation and responding to citizen complaints that "it was brighter yesterday."
Residents would be encouraged to report dim sunshine and solar flares through the city's SeeClickFix app.
Performance metrics include reducing glare by 12%, eliminating inconvenient sun-in-your-eyes commutes and ensuring at least 95% of sunsets remain "Instagram worthy."
Officials cautioned that municipal ownership would not eliminate occasional cloudy days, though they believe some sunshine could be relocated to shady zones by the hometown haulers.
City officials emphasized that approving the study would not authorize the purchase of the sun.
It would simply allow consultants to determine whether municipal ownership represents a more resilient, equitable and locally controlled model for daylight delivery.
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