Over the next few weeks, Georgia voters will have the opportunity to decide who will represent them on the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC). Despite its low profile, the PSC has a large influence on the lives of Georgians due to its ability to regulate utility companies and stop electricity bills from climbing ever higher. Two seats on the five-person commission are up for grabs this Election Day, and this statewide election is an opportunity for Georgians to make their voices heard on bill affordability and the state of the environment.
Learn how and where you can vote early
In Georgia, as across the country, electricity bills are increasing, old and expensive coal plants are staying open beyond their retirement dates, and utility companies are overwhelming customers by passing on the costs of risky methane gas plants and pipelines instead of opting for cheap, reliable renewable energy. This is all while the severity and frequency of destructive storms are increasing due to the worsening climate crisis. The Public Service Commissioners in Georgia can either allow these harmful trends to continue or they can use their authority to protect the people who elected them. In a state where you cannot choose who you buy your power from, the best thing you can do is choose your public service commissioners, whose job it is to hold your electric utility accountable.
The Largely Unknown State Agency with the Largest Impact on Georgians
Few people are aware that a group of five elected officials decides if the monthly electricity bills for many Georgians are actually affordable. They also decide how much clean energy the state’s largest electric utility brings online. Together, the five commissioners make up the Georgia Public Service Commission. This government agency regulates a handful of gas, telecommunications, and electric utilities that serve Georgia residents. One of them is Georgia Power, an investor-owned electric utility that serves 2.8 million customers in all but four of the counties in the state.
In a previous SACE article about how the public can engage with the Georgia PSC, we shared that the PSC has a say in how much renewable energy Georgia Power pursues, how solar programs and energy efficiency programs are structured, and whether rooftop solar is fairly compensated.
As part of its regulatory activity, the PSC considers whether Georgia Power’s proposed fees, rates, bill structures, and shutoff policies are fair to consumers, and whether to allow the utility to pass certain costs on to ratepayers. The decisions made at the PSC directly impact how Georgia Power will meet electricity demand from customers in its monopoly service area. All of the PSC decisions listed above affect your monthly bill if you are a Georgia Power customer.
Georgia Voters Have the Power
Georgia residents have a unique opportunity because they can vote directly for their public service commissioners — only 10 states in the country give the people the power to do so. In the majority of the US, public utility commissioners are appointed. In Georgia, every voter has a say. The decisions the commissioners make, including which coal plants stay open, will have an impact on Georgia residents for decades to come.
Electric utilities are the second-largest contributors to climate pollution in Georgia due to their reliance on coal and gas to produce power. The longer the PSC allows these plants to stay open and multiply, the more harm Georgians will face from the impact of climate disasters and pollution-induced health issues. That is why this election is so important. Voting for your public service commissioners is a way to take ownership and have input on what Georgia’s energy future can look like. Whether you are personally impacted by electricity rate hikes or you want a healthier environment for your community, or both, spread the word about the impact you and your neighbors can have by voting.
How PSC Rulings Affect Georgia Residents
Here are just a few types of cases the Georgia PSC votes on that have major impacts on Georgians’ power bills and the environment.
Georgia Power Rate Cases
Georgia Power typically increases base rates, a component of customers’ electricity bills, every three years. Before they raise rates, though, they first have to get the approval of the PSC. The job of the Public Service Commission is to review the utility’s requested rate increases and balance the utility’s requested rate change with the interests of the public and ensure that the rates customers pay are fair. If a Public Service Commissioner is concerned about the fairness of Georgia Power’s request, they can push back during a rate case or vote against the proposed increase.
Georgia Power Resource Plans
Typically, every three years, Georgia Power produces a long-range plan to project how it will meet the electricity demand of its customers for the next twenty years. For example, long-term planning about whether Georgia Power might spend billions of dollars on gas plants and pipelines, instead of prioritizing investing in energy efficiency, is the type of decision made in integrated resource plans (IRPs). Each IRP is put before the PSC for approval. A decision is made after a series of hearings where the commissioners listen to arguments from their own staff, the electric utility, and interveners. Public Service Commissioners have the ability to shape the IRP and influence how economical and environmentally friendly Georgia Power’s future investments are.
Power Plant Approvals
Before Georgia Power begins construction of any large power plant, it must first receive the go-ahead from the PSC. In order to do so, Georgia Power must prove that the new power plant is in the public interest. Public Service Commissioners have the power to either approve Georgia Power’s plans to build the new power plant or have them pursue alternatives instead. Power plants that the PSC approves are then typically paid for by customers on their bills in the future.
Voting Information
Georgians who want to have a say on the affordability of their electricity bills and the state of our environment can make their voices heard in this election. Early voting runs October 14 – 31, and Election Day is November 4. Make your plan today to vote early to make sure your voice is heard!
