Georgians' Utility Bills Will Be Determined By This Nov. 4 Election
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.
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.
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.
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