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DEL.ICIO.USGeorgia Power bill cruises past Senate committee
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A Senate committee just gave 8-2 approval to a Georgia Power bill that would permit the utility to charge ratepayers for the cost of financing two new nuclear units for seven years before they go on-line in 2017.
The measure is the most heavily lobbied of the session and lobbyists for and against packed the room.
A Senate floor vote won’t come before Monday.
While in the end passage was assured, signs of nervousness among Senate Republicans were clear.
Bart Gobeil, chief of staff to Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, monitored the 90-minute committee hearing.
Senate Rules Chairman Don Balfour, who controls the flow of legislation in that chamber, is the bill’s primary sponsor. He implored his colleagues to approve the committee substitute to keep up with economic development challenges posed by neighboring states.
Revisions included assurances that the Public Service Commission could adjust the portion of the nuclear plant tariff on the elderly and the poor. But no one was sure how many people might be covered by the new language.
Georgia Power officials denied that any favors had been cut to large industrial users and maintained that most of their customers would pay proportionately the same rate, though a PSC staff report had indicated otherwise.
Eric Johnson of Savannah, a 2010 candidate for lieutenant governor, made the motion for passage. He sat next to David Shafer of Duluth, also a GOP candidate for the position — who by virtue of his position as chairman of the Senate regulated industries committee did not participate in the vote.
The bill has the strong support of the lieutenant governor, but some of the toughest questions posed Georgia Power officials came from Tommie Williams of Lyons, the Senate president pro tem and the ranking member of the chamber.
Williams pointed out what he considered complicated and fuzzy language in the legislation, and that the utility was likely to win federally guaranteed loans for the project, at extremely favorable rates. The benefit of those low interest rates would be passed on to consumers after several years, Williams noted — after the utility enjoyed a substantial “float.”
Williams supported a substitute version authored by Democrat Doug Stoner of Smyrna, who complained about the rush-order placed on the legislation — and confusing language in the bill.
“I’m not saying it’s doubletalk, but it seems that way to me,” Stoner said.
Williams eventually voted for Balfour’s measure — but his questioning indicated some resistance to the bill within the Senate GOP caucus. Democrats Stoner and Gloria Butler of Stone Mountain cast the only dissenting votes.
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Comments
By Whitney
February 5, 2009 8:22 AM | Link to this
This is one of the worst bills for Georgia Consumers. It seeks to place the burden for increased power costs on the backs of families in Georgia, while ignoring that the greatest user of electricity are businesses.
Instead of this going through the PSC where it belongs, So. Co. is pushing it through our legislature. Lt. Governor Cagle, this will come back to haunt you.
By Sick of It
February 9, 2009 5:35 PM | Link to this
Senate Rules Chairman Don Balfour = Mindless Lackey for The Southern Company/Georgia Power
Hey Don, thanks for prostituting yourslef for GA Power for so many years. This is all about sticking it to ratepayers, with no risk to Southern Company/Georgia Power.
Thanks for nothing, Don Balfour. Thanks Georgia Republicans, for sticking it hard to all of us non-lobbyists. Same goes for Eric Johnson.
Ya’ll are embarassing.