Early voting is underway in the primary election for two seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission, the powerful panel of regulators with final say over the rates and energy plans of the state’s largest electric utility, Georgia Power — a subsidiary of one of the largest utilities in the country.
This year’s PSC election comes with added scrutiny because it’s been nearly five years since the last one, and in that time Georgia Power bills have increased repeatedly with the current commission’s approval. It’s also the only statewide race on Georgia’s ballot this year.
State utility commissioners across the country have a substantial impact on climate action because they oversee electric utilities and have final say over how those utilities generate energy — one of the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions. In states like Georgia where monopoly utilities dominate, the commissioners’ power is magnified.
Elections for the Georgia Public Service Commission have been canceled for the last two cycles be... Read more
