GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – More than a month after Green Cove Springs council members shot down a 20% increase in electric rates, they unanimously approved a 12% increase in electric rates Tuesday night.
The rate adjustment, effective Wednesday, will impact all customers on the municipal electric grid. A typical residential bill of $100 will increase to $112, while the standard monthly residential fee will rise from $16.50 to $18.48.
“I don’t have a problem coming up with the extra money,” one community member said. “I’m sorry — some people do."
City officials cite aging infrastructure as a primary driver for the rate increase. Two substation transformers, now 48 years old, have far exceeded their 30-year life expectancy. The cost to replace them is up over 200% from 2019.
The approved increase is under what was initially proposed to be a 20% increase. After an outcry from the community, it was taken down to a flat increase of 12% across all fees and rates.
“This is a compromise,” Mayor Matt Johnson said.
But with budget deficits still on the horizon, some members question if this increase is enough.
Vice-Mayor Ed Gaw voiced concerns about the scaled-back increase.
“What we’re doing is again kicking the can down the road knowing that we are going to operate at a deficit and knowing those things we had hoped to accomplish. We’re not even going to come close,” Gaw said.
Assistant City Manager Mike Null indicated the city would adjust operations accordingly: “We’ll do with it what we can and we’ll budget based on that.”
The new rates will appear on billing cycles ending on or after Aug. 1. While no additional increases are currently scheduled for 2026, the council retains the ability to evaluate rates annually based on operational needs and costs.
The new rate goes into effect on Wednesday.
Monthly Customer Service Charge
- Residential Customers: Increases from $16.50 to $18.48 on July 2, 2025
- Small Commercial Customers: Increases from $16.50 to $18.48 on July 2, 2025
- Large Commercial Customers: Increases from $66.00 to $73.92 on July 2, 2025
Monthly Energy Charges (per kWh)
- Residential Customers (Usage under 1,000 kWh): Increases from $0.11869 to $0.12937 on July 2, 2025
- Residential Customers (Usage over 1,000 kWh): Increases from $0.12344 to $0.14813 on July 2, 2025
- Small Commercial Customers: Increases from $0.12617 to $0.14131 on July 2, 2025
- Large Commercial Customers: Increases from $0.09275 to $0.10388 on July 2, 2025
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