FLORIDA PROGRESS CORP
S-8, 1994-06-01
ELECTRIC SERVICES
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           As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 1, 1994
                                             Registration No. 33- _________    

    
                
==============================================================================
                        SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              Washington, D.C.  20549
                                               

                                     FORM S-8

                              Registration Statement
                                       Under
                            The Securities Act of 1933
                                               

                          FLORIDA PROGRESS CORPORATION
              (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
                     Florida                       59-2147112
           (State of Incorporation)     (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

                One Progress Plaza, St. Petersburg, Florida  33701
               (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

            SAVINGS PLAN FOR EMPLOYEES OF FLORIDA PROGRESS CORPORATION
                             (Full title of the plan)

                                  DAVID R. KUZMA
                           Vice President and Treasurer
                           Florida Progress Corporation
                 3201 34th Street South, St. Petersburg, FL  33711
                                  (813) 866-4553
(Name, address and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                          CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
====================================================================================================================    
<S>                                   <C>                      <C>              <C>           <C>
                                                                Proposed         Proposed
                                                                Maximum          Maximum
Title of Each                            Amount                 Offering         Aggregate       Amount of
Class of Securities                      to be                   Price           Offering      Registration
to be Registered                      Registered(1)            Per Unit(2)       Price (2)          Fee
     
Common Stock,
without par value(2)(3)                  750,000 Shs.             $ 27.063         $20,296,875     $6,999
=====================================================================================================================
(1)     Pursuant to Rule 428(b)(1), the documents constituting the Prospectus from Part I of Form S-8 will be sent or given to
        employees, but are not filed herewith. Pursuant to Rule 429, such documents cover not only the shares registered hereby,
        but also 38,051 shares of Common Stock that remain registered under the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-8
        (No. 33-54972) that was filed with the Commission on November 23, 1992.
(2)     Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee in accordance with Rule 457(c) under the Securities
        Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), and based on the average of the high and low sales prices of the Common Stock in
        New York Stock Exchange Composite Transactions on May 27, 1994.
(3)     Includes rights to purchase units of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
(4)     In addition, pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Act, this Registration Statement also covers an indeterminate amount of
        interests to be offered or sold pursuant to the employee benefit plan described below.
</TABLE>

                                 PART II.

            Information Required in the Registration Statement



Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.
        
        Florida Progress Corporation (the "Company") and the Savings Plan for
Employees of Florida Progress Corporation (the "Plan") hereby provide that the
following documents heretofore filed by the Company with the Securities and
Exchange Commission ("SEC") (File No. 1-8349), as amended, are incorporated
herein by reference:

        1.  Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1993, as
filed with the SEC on March 31, 1994.

        2.  Annual Report on Form 11-K for the year ended December 31, 1993, as
filed with the SEC on March 30, 1994.

        3.  The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
March 31, 1994, as filed with the SEC on May 6, 1994.

        4.  The Company's Current Reports on Form 8-K dated January 17, 1994 
and April 21, 1994, as filed with the SEC on January 26, 1994 and April 21, 
1994, respectively.

        5.  The description of the Common Stock of the Company contained in
Item 4 of the Company's Registration Statement on Form 8-B (No. 1-8349) that
was filed with the SEC on May 21, 1982, as updated by the following reports of
the Company, each of which is also incorporated herein by reference: Part II,
Item 2 of Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 1985
that was filed with the SEC on May 14, 1985; Part II, Item 4 of Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 1990 that was filed with
the SEC on May 14, 1990; and the Current Report on Form 8-K dated November 21,
1991 that was filed with the SEC on November 27, 1991.

    All documents filed by the Company or the Plan pursuant to Section 13(a),
13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 subsequent to the
date of the filing of this registration statement and prior to the filing of a
post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby
have been sold or deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be
deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement and to be
a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

        Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

    Kenneth E. Armstrong is named in certain documents incorporated by
reference in this registration statement as an expert with respect to
statements relating to matters of law or expressing legal conclusions.  Mr.
Armstrong is Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Florida Progress
Corporation.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

    The Florida Business Corporation Act, as amended (the "Florida Act"),
provides that, in general, a business corporation may indemnify any person who
is or was a party to any proceeding (other than an action by, or in the right
of, the corporation) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director
or officer of the corporation, against liability incurred in connection with
such proceeding, provided certain standards are met, including that such
officer or director acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to
be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation, and provided
further that, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, the officer or
director had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. 
In the case of proceedings by or in the right of the corporation, the Florida
Act provides that, in general, a corporation may indemnify any person who was
or is a party to such proceeding by reason of the fact that he or she is or was
a director or officer of the corporation against expenses and amounts paid in
settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with the defense or
settlement of such proceeding, including the appeal thereof, provided that such
person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be
in, or not opposed to, the best interest of the corporation, and provided 
further that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim as to
which such person is adjudged liable unless a court of competent jurisdiction
determines upon application that such person is fairly and reasonably entitled
to indemnity.  To the extent that any officers or directors are successful on
the merits or otherwise in the defense of any of the proceedings described
above, the Florida Act provides that the corporation is required to indemnify
such officers or directors against expenses actually and reasonably incurred in
connection therewith.  However, the Florida Act further provides that, in
general, indemnification or advancement of expenses shall not be made to or on
behalf of any officer or director if a judgment or other final adjudication
establishes that his or her actions, or omissions to act, were material to the
cause of action so adjudicated and constitute: (i) a violation of the criminal
law, unless the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe his or her
conduct was lawful or had no reasonable cause to believe it was unlawful;  (ii)
a transaction from which the director or officer derived an improper personal
benefit; (iii) in the case of a director, a circumstance under which the
director has voted for or assented to a distribution made in violation of the
Florida Act or the corporation's articles of incorporation; or (iv) willful
misconduct or a conscious disregard for the best interest of the corporation in
a proceeding by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its
favor or in a proceeding by or in the right of a shareholder.  Article XI of
the Company's By-laws provides that the Company shall indemnify any director,
officer or employee or any former director, officer or employee to the full
extent permitted by law.

    The Company has purchased insurance with respect to, among other things,
the liabilities that may arise under the statutory provisions referred to
above.  The directors and officers of the Company also are insured against
certain liabilities, including certain liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933, which might be incurred by them in such capacities and against
which they are not indemnified by the Company.


Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed.

    Not applicable.


Item 8.  Exhibits.

4.(a)*    -    Restated Articles of Incorporation, as amended, of Florida
               Progress Corporation.  (Filed as Exhibit 3(a) to the Company's
               Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1991
               as filed with the SEC (File No. 1-8349) on March 30, 1992.)

4.(b)*    -    Shareholder Rights Agreement, dated as of November 21, 1991,
               between the Company and Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company,
               with form of Rights Certificate attached thereto as Exhibit A. 
               (Filed as Exhibit 4(a) to the Company's Form 8-K dated November
               21, 1991, as filed with the SEC (File No. 1-8349) on November
               27, 1991.)

4.(c)*    -    Amended Articles of Incorporation, as amended, of Florida Power
               Corporation ("Florida Power").  (Filed as Exhibit 3(a) to the
               Florida Power Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
               December 31, 1991 as filed with the SEC (File No. 1-3274) on
               March 30, 1992.)

4.(d)*    -    Indenture, dated as of January 1, 1944 (the "Indenture"),
               between Florida Power and Guaranty Trust Company of New York and
               The Florida National Bank of Jacksonville, as Trustees. (Filed
               as Exhibit B-18 to Florida Power's Registration Statement on
               Form A-2 (No. 2-5293) filed with the SEC on January 24, 1944.)

4.(e)*    -    Seventh Supplemental Indenture, dated as of July 1, 1956,
               between Florida Power and Guaranty Trust Company of New York and
               The Florida National Bank of Jacksonville, as Trustees, with
               reference to the modification and amendment of the Indenture. 
               (Filed as Exhibit 4(b) to Florida Power's Registration Statement
               on Form S-3 (No. 33-16788) filed with the SEC on September 27,
               1991.)

4.(f)*    -    Eighth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of July 1, 1958, between
               Florida Power and Guaranty Trust Company of New York and The
               Florida National Bank of Jacksonville, as Trustees, with
               reference to the modification and amendment of the Indenture. 
               (Filed as Exhibit 4(c) to Florida Power's Registration Statement

               on Form S-3 (No. 33-16788) filed with the SEC on September 27,
               1991.)

4.(g)*    -    Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of February 1, 1970,
               between Florida Power and Morgan Guaranty Trust Company of New
               York and The Florida National Bank of Jacksonville, as Trustees,
               with reference to the modification and amendment of the
               Indenture.  (Filed as Exhibit 4(d) to Florida Power's
               Registration Statement on Form S-3 (No. 33-16788) filed with the
               SEC on September 27, 1991.)

4.(h)*    -    Twenty-Ninth Supplemental Indenture dated as of September 1,
               1982, between Florida Power and Morgan Guaranty Trust Company of
               New York and Florida National Bank, as Trustees, with reference
               to the modification and amendment of the Indenture.  (Filed as
               Exhibit 4(c) to Florida Power's Registration Statement on Form
               S-3 (No. 2-79832) filed with the SEC on September 17, 1982.)

5.(a)     -    Opinion of Kenneth E. Armstrong, Esq. regarding the legality of
               the Common Stock to be issued.

5.(b)*    -    Copy of the Internal Revenue Service determination letter dated
               July 20, 1989, to the effect that the plan is qualified under
               Section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code.  (Filed as Exhibit
               5(b) to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-8 (No.
               33-37336) filed with the SEC on October 4, 1990.)

23.(a)    -    Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick, independent certified public
               accountants.

23.(b)    -    Consent of Price Waterhouse, independent certified public
               accountants.

23.(c)    -    Consent of Kenneth E. Armstrong, Esq. is contained in his 
               opinion filed as Exhibit 5.(a).

24        -    Powers of Attorney are included on the signature page of this
               Registration Statement.

           
*Incorporated herein by reference.

   The undersigned registrant has submitted the Plan and any amendments thereto
to the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") in a timely manner, and the Plan
has been qualified by the IRS as indicated in Exhibit 5(b).  The registrant
hereby undertakes to make all changes, if any, required by the IRS  in order to
maintain the qualification of the Plan.

<PAGE>
Item 9.  Undertakings.

   The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

     (1)  To file,  during  any  period  in  which  offers  or  sales  are 
being  made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

          (i)   To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the
Securities Act of 1933;

          (ii)  To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after
the effective date of this registration statement (or the most recent
post-effective amendment thereof)which, individually or in the aggregate,
represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration
statement;

          (iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of
distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any
material change to such information in the registration statement;

   provided, however, that paragraphs (i) and (ii) above do not apply if the
information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the registrant pursuant to
Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are
incorporated by reference in this registration statement.

     (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to
be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and
the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial
bona fide offering thereof.

     (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination
of the offering.

   The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference in the
registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

   Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
registrant pursuant to the provisions described in Item 15, or otherwise, the
registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a
claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by
the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or
controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action,
suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person
in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless
in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such
issue.
<PAGE>
                                  SIGNATURES

   Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of St. Petersburg, State of Florida, on the 31st day of
May, 1994.
     
                                   FLORIDA PROGRESS CORPORATION

                                   By:  /s/ Jack B. Critchfield                

                                        Jack B. Critchfield, Chairman and
                                        Chief Executive Officer           
           
   KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS that each of the undersigned officers and
directors of Florida Progress Corporation (the "Company"), a Florida
corporation, for himself or herself and not for one another, does hereby
constitute and appoint KENNETH E. ARMSTRONG, DAVID R. KUZMA, JEFFREY R.
HEINICKA and DOUGLAS E. WENTZ, and each of them, a true and lawful attorney in
his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign his or her
name to any and all amendments, including post-effective amendments, to this
registration statement with respect to the proposed issuance, sale and delivery
by the Company of shares of its Common Stock pursuant to the Savings Plan for
Employees of Florida Progress Corporation, and to cause the same to be filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys and
each of them full power and authority to do and perform any act and thing
necessary and proper to be done in the premises, as fully to all intents and
purposes as the undersigned could do if personally present, and each of the
undersigned for himself or herself hereby ratifies and confirms all that said
attorneys or any one of them shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof.

   Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the date indicated.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

   Signature                                        Title                                  Date 
<S>   <C>                                         <C>                                   <C>
(i)   /s/ Jack B. Critchfield                     Chairman, Chief Executive            May 31, 1994
      Jack B. Critchfield                         Officer and Director
      Principal Executive Officer

(ii)  /s/ Jeffrey R. Heinicka                     Senior Vice President and            May 31, 1994
      Jeffrey R. Heinicka                        Chief Financial Officer
      Principal Financial Officer
       
(iii) /s/ John Scardino, Jr.                      Vice President and Controller        May 31, 1994
      John Scardino, Jr.             
      Principal Accounting Officer

</TABLE>
<PAGE>
(iv)  A majority of the Directors, including (i) above:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

   Signature                             Title                       Date 
<S>                                     <C>                      <C>

/s/ Michael P. Graney                    Director                 May 31, 1994
Michael P. Graney

/s/ Allen J. Keesler, Jr.                Director                 May 31, 1994
Allen J. Keesler, Jr.

/s/ Richard Korpan                       Director                 May 31, 1994
Richard Korpan

/s/ Clarence V. McKee                    Director                 May 31, 1994
Clarence V. McKee

/s/ Vincent J. Naimoli                   Director                 May 31, 1994
Vincent J. Naimoli

/s/ Richard A. Nunis                     Director                 May 31, 1994
Richard A. Nunis

/s/ Charles B. Reed                      Director                 May 31, 1994
Charles B. Reed

/s/ Joan D. Ruffier                      Director                 May 31, 1994
Joan D. Ruffier

/s/ Robert T. Stuart, Jr.                Director                 May 31, 1994
Robert T. Stuart, Jr.

/s/ Paul R. Verkuil                      Director                 May 31, 1994
Paul R. Verkuil

/s/ Jean Giles Wittner                   Director                 May 31, 1994
Jean Giles Wittner

/TABLE
<PAGE>
   (v)    The Plan.  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of
1933, the trustees (or other persons who administer the employee benefit plan)
have duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of St. Petersburg,
State of Florida, on May 31, 1994.

SAVINGS PLAN FOR EMPLOYEES OF 
FLORIDA PROGRESS CORPORATION


By:  /s/ Pamela J. Burmaster     
   Pamela J. Burmaster
   Plan Administrator and Secretary and
   Member of the Investment Committee 
   for the Savings Plan for Employees 
   Trust of Florida Progress Corporation



By:  /s/ David R. Kuzma            )         
   David R. Kuzma                  )
                                   )
                                   )
By:  /s/ Jeffrey R. Heinicka       )   Members of the Investment Committee
   Jeffrey R. Heinicka             )   for the Savings Plan for Employees
                                   )   Trust of Florida Progress Corporation
                                   )
By:  /s/ James A. McClure, III     )
   James A. McClure, III           )
                                   )
                                   )
By:  /s/ Kenneth E. McDonald       )
   Kenneth E. McDonald             )
           

<PAGE>
                               EXHIBIT INDEX

                                                         
                                                         

4.(a)*-   Restated Articles of Incorporation, as amended, of the Company. 
          (Filed as Exhibit 3(a) to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K
          for the year ended December 31, 1991 as filed with the SEC (File No.
          1-8349) on March 30, 1992.)

4.(b)*-   Shareholder Rights Agreement, dated as of November 21, 1991, between
          the Company and Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company, with form of
          Rights Certificate attached thereto as Exhibit A.  (Filed as Exhibit
          4(a) to the Company's Form 8-K, dated (date of event reported)
          November 21, 1991, as filed with the SEC (File No. 1-8349) on
          November 27, 1991.)

4.(c)*-   Amended Articles of Incorporation, as amended, of Florida Power
          Corporation ("Florida Power").  (Filed as Exhibit 3(a) to the Florida
          Power Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1991
          as filed with the SEC (File No. 1-3274) on March 30, 1992.)

4.(d)*-   Indenture, dated as of January 1, 1944 (the "Indenture"), between
          Florida Power and Guaranty Trust Company of New York and The Florida
          National Bank of Jacksonville, as Trustees. (Filed as Exhibit B-18 to
          Florida Power's Registration Statement on Form A-2 (No. 2-5293) filed
          with the SEC on January 24, 1944.)

4.(e)*-   Seventh Supplemental Indenture, dated as of July 1, 1956, between
          Florida Power and Guaranty Trust Company of New York and The Florida
          National Bank of Jacksonville, as Trustees, with reference to the
          modification and amendment of the Indenture.  (Filed as Exhibit 4(b)
          to Florida Power's Registration Statement on Form S-3 (No. 33-16788)
          filed with the SEC on September 27, 1991.)

4.(f)*-   Eighth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of July 1, 1958, between
          Florida Power and Guaranty Trust Company of New York and The Florida
          National Bank of Jacksonville, as Trustees, with reference to the
          modification and amendment of the Indenture.  (Filed as Exhibit 4(c)
          to Florida Power's Registration Statement on Form S-3 (No. 33-16788)
          filed with the SEC on September 27, 1991.)

4.(g)*-   Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of February 1, 1970,
          between Florida Power and Morgan Guaranty Trust Company of New York
          and The Florida National Bank of Jacksonville, as Trustees, with
          reference to the modification and amendment of the Indenture.  (Filed
          as Exhibit 4(d) to Florida Power's Registration Statement on Form S-3
          (No. 33-16788) filed with the SEC on September 27, 1991.)

4.(h)*-   Twenty-Ninth Supplemental Indenture dated as of September 1, 1982,
          between Florida Power and Morgan Guaranty Trust Company of New York
          and Florida National Bank, as Trustees, with reference to the 
          modification and amendment of the Indenture. (Filed as Exhibit 4(c)
          to Florida Power's Registration Statement on Form S-3 (No. 2-79832)
          filed with the SEC on September 17, 1982.)

5.(a) -   Opinion of Kenneth E. Armstrong, Esq. regarding the legality of the
          Common Stock to be issued.

5.(b)*-   Copy of the Internal Revenue Service determination letter dated July
          20, 1989, to the effect that the plan is qualified under Section 401
          of the Internal Revenue Code.  (Filed as Exhibit 5(b) to the
          Company's Registration Statement on Form S-8 (No. 33-37336) filed
          with the SEC on October 4, 1990.)

23.(a)-   Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick, independent certified public
          accountants.

23.(b)-   Consent of Price Waterhouse, independent certified public
          accountants.

23.(c)-   Consent of Kenneth E. Armstrong, Esq. is contained in his opinion
          filed as Exhibit 5.(a).

24   -    Powers of Attorney are included on the signature page of this
          Registration Statement.

______________
*  Incorporated herein by reference.

           

                                                            EXHIBIT 5.(a)
                           Florida Progress Corporation
                                One Progress Plaza
                             St. Petersburg, FL  33701
                                   813/824-6508
                                 Fax 813/824-6501

Kenneth E. Armstrong
Vice President, General
Counsel and Secretary                                            


                                   May 31, 1994



Florida Progress Corporation
One Progress Plaza
St. Petersburg, FL  33701

     Re:  Issuance and sale of shares of Common Stock, without par value, 
          under the Savings Plan for Employees of Florida Progress Corporation.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     I am rendering this opinion in connection with the registration of 750,000
additional shares of common stock, without par value (the "Common Stock") of
Florida Progress Corporation (the "Company") to be issued from time to time
under the Savings Plan for Employees of Florida Progress Corporation (the
"Plan").  

     The Plan provides for the sale, at the option of the Company, of either
original issue shares of Common Stock or shares of Common Stock to be purchased
for the Plan in the open market.  A Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the
"Registration Statement") is expected to be filed by the Company with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the "Act") on June 1, 1994 for the registration of (i)
750,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock to be issued under the Plan,
whether as original issue shares or shares that were purchased for the Plan in
the open market (the "Shares"), (ii) the Rights associated with such Shares (as
the term Rights is defined in the Shareholder Rights Agreement dated November
21, 1992 between the Company and Chemical Bank (successor to Manufacturers
Hanover Trust Company), as rights agent (the "Shareholder Rights Agreement")),
and (iii) an indeterminate amount of interests in the Plan related to such
Shares that constitute separate securities required to be registered under the
Act ("Interests").

     As your counsel, I and members of the Company's legal department have
participated in the preparation of the Registration Statement.  We also have
examined the Plan, the Company's Restated Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws,
as amended to date, the Shareholder Rights Agreement and the resolutions
adopted by the Company's Board of Directors on May 19, 1994 relating to the
Registration Statement.

<PAGE>
Florida Progress Corporation
May 31, 1994
Page Two


     Based upon and subject to the foregoing, I am of the opinion that:

     1.   Florida Progress Corporation is a corporation duly organized and
existing under the laws of the State of Florida; and

     2.   When the Registration Statement shall have become effective and
original issue Shares and the related Rights are issued and sold from time to
time in accordance with the terms of the Plan, such Shares and Rights will be
duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

     I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement, and to the use of my name under the caption "Interests
of Named Experts and Counsel" therein and under the heading "Experts" in the
documents constituting a prospectus relating to the Plan.

                                   Very truly yours,


                                   /s/Kenneth E. Armstrong
                                   Kenneth E. Armstrong
               




KPMG Peat Marwick
Certified Public Accountants                                     Exhibit 23.(a)
P.O. Box 31002
St. Petersburg, FL  33732






The Board of Directors
Florida Progress Corporation:

We consent to the use of our reports incorporated herein by reference.  Our
report on the financial statements contained in the Company's Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 1993, refers to a change in the method of accounting
for income taxes and a change in the method of accounting for postretirement
benefits other than pensions.


                                   /s/ KPMG Peat Marwick

June 1, 1994


                                  EXHIBIT 23.(b)

                CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS


We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration
Statement on Form S-8 of Florida Progress Corporation of our report dated March
4, 1994 relating to the financial statements of the Savings Plan for Employees
of Florida Progress Corporation for the year ended December 31, 1993 appearing
on page 2 of Annual Report on Form 11-K.


PRICE WATERHOUSE

/s/ PRICE WATERHOUSE
----------------------
Tampa, Florida
May 31, 1994<PAGE>


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