Groups Launch Campaign Against Georgia Power’s Proposed Fee Hike
Consumer, business, equity, and environmental groups ring alarm bells over Georgia Power’s proposed fee hike
Contact:
Chris Carnevale, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, chris@cleanenergy.org, 843-973-2637
Melissa Williams, Sierra Club, melissa.williams@sierraclub.org
Adam Winer, Consumer Reports, adam.winer@consumer.org, 202-462-6262 x7444
Jennette Gayer, Environment Georgia, jennette@environmentgeorgia.org, 404-370-1764
Lauren Hart, Georgia Solar Energy Association, lauren@gasolar.org 678-596-9223
Brionté McCorkle, Georgia Conservation Voters, brionté@gaconservationvoters.org , 478-919-5326
Deven Trowers, Partnership for Southern Equity, dtrowers@psequity.org, 678-383-7774
Lindsay Harper, Georgia WAND, lindsay@georgiawand.org, 404-428-7440
Atlanta, Ga. — Georgia Power’s proposed fee hike is inequitable, unjustified, and bad for consumers, business, and the environment. That is the message that a coalition of consumer, business associations, equity, and environmental groups is sharing widely with Georgians.
Consumer Reports, Georgia Conservation Voters, Sierra Club, Environment Georgia, Georgia Solar Energy Association, Partnership for Southern Equity, Georgia WAND, and Southern Alliance for Clean Energy have launched a campaign to raise awareness with Georgians about serious problems with Georgia Power’s proposal to raise its mandatory monthly fee, which is hidden on most customers’ bills, from $10 per month to $17.95 per month for residential customers.
By nearly doubling the mandatory fee, Georgia Power would make residential customers pay at least $215 per year before even flipping on a light switch. Shifting more of the bill into the mandatory fee, instead of being based on energy use, results in customers losing some of their ability to control their energy costs by using less energy, whether through conservation, investing in energy efficiency, or using solar power. A fee hike also raises significant equity issues because customers who use the least amount of energy would be burdened with the largest negative proportional economic impacts—often seniors and working families earning lower incomes.
Before going into effect, Georgia Power’s proposed fee hike would need to be approved by the state’s energy regulators, the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC).
The groups encourage Georgia Power customers to learn more and speak up against the fee hike at NoFeeHike.com.
Additional Background:
To learn more about the proposed fee hike, please visit http://cleanenergy.org/georgia-power-fee-hike
Georgia Power’s proposed fee hike is part of its 2019 rate case, which is seeking to charge customers for an additional $2.2 billion. The company filed the proposal with the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) on June 28. The PSC must approve any changes before they go into effect. The PSC will issue a final decision by December 17. The rate case filing is docket #42516 on the PSC’s website: https://psc.ga.gov/search/facts-docket/?docketId=42516
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About Southern Alliance for Clean Energy – Since 1985, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy has worked to promote responsible energy choices to ensure clean, safe and healthy communities throughout the Southeast. www.cleanenergy.org
About the Sierra Club – The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person’s right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.
About Consumer Reports – Consumer Reports is a nonprofit consumer membership organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. For 80 years, CR has provided evidence-based product testing and ratings, rigorous research, hard-hitting investigative journalism, public education, and steadfast policy action on behalf of consumers’ interests. Unconstrained by advertising or other commercial influences, CR has exposed landmark public health and safety issues and strives to be a catalyst for pro-consumer changes in the marketplace. Learn more at CR.org/advocacy.
About Environment Georgia – Environment Georgia works statewide to protect Georgia’s air, water and green spaces. www.environmentgeorgia.org
About the Georgia Solar Energy Association – The Georgia Solar Energy Association, is leading the effort in Georgia to promote the economic and environmental benefits of solar energy through education, advocacy and industry support. Our members are working together to make Georgia a leader in innovation, creating jobs, and attracting investment. For more information, visit www.gasolar.org.
About Partnership for Southern Equity – The Partnership for Southern Equity (PSE) is an Atlanta-based nonprofit that advances policies and institutional actions that promote racial equity and shared prosperity for all in the growth of metropolitan Atlanta and the American South through an ecosystem-based model for multi-demographic engagement. www.psequity.org
About Georgia WAND – Georgia WAND (Women’s Action for New Directions) envisions a world without militarism or systemic violence, with just, healthy, secure, and sustainable communities, and in which Georgia is a leader in regional, national, and global movements. www.gawand.org