In upset, Democrats win in PSC races that could affect Georgia Power bills
Democrats Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard dealt the GOP a significant blow Tuesday night, prying statewide seats away from Republican incumbents on the powerful Georgia Public Service Commission, which sets Georgia Power’s electricity rates and regulates other utilities.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called the races for the Democratic challengers just after 9 p.m. Tuesday night.
In the District 2 race, Johnson defeated Commissioner Tim Echols, who has served on the PSC since 2011. In the District 3 contest, Hubbard toppled Commissioner Fitz Johnson, who has been in office since 2021, when he was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp to fill the vacant post.
In her statement declaring victory, Alicia Johnson dedicated the win “to every volunteer who knocked on doors, every supporter who made a call, sent a donation, made a post, passed out a flyer, or sent a text, to every friend who shared our message, and every voter who believed that accountable leadership and affordable energy are worth fighting for.”
Despite the loses, Republicans will still hold three of the PSC’s five seats and maintain their majority on the commission. But the wins give Democrats a foothold they haven’t had in decades on the state’s top utility regulator.
Before Johnson and Hubbard’s victories, Democrats hadn’t won a PSC race since 2000, when David Burgess won and became the commission’s first Black member since its inception in 1879.
The Democrats wins will likely be seen as a reflection of voters growing discontent over their sharply rising Georgia Power bills.
The Republican-controlled commission has approved six rate increases for the utility in roughly three years. For residential customers, that’s meant their monthly Georgia Power bills have climbed by an average of $43 since the start of 2023.
With a barrage of ads telling voters their “power bill is on the ballot,” Hubbard, Johnson and Democrat-aligned groups sought to tap into Georgia Power customers’ frustration to drive turnout.
The Republicans tried to beat back those attacked by reminding Georgians they voted this summer to keep Georgia Power’s base rates steady for three years, though that “freeze” comes with some asterisks. Echols and Johnson also argued their policies aided Georgia’s successful courtship of electric vehicle, battery and other factories, and warned the Democrats “California-style” energy policies would put that all at risk.
The races were Georgians first chance to cast ballots in a PSC general election since 2020.
Elections for the commission were postponed in 2022 and again in 2024 because of a legal fight over Georgia’s statewide voting system and whether it discriminates against Black voters.
To put the elections back on their staggered schedule after the delays, Kemp signed legislation in 2024 resetting the PSC’s election calendar.
As a result, Hubbard will serve a one-year term and could run for reelection next year, while Johnson will serve a five-year term. Going forward, commissioners will serve the usual six-year terms.
Hubbard and Johnson will join the commission at a critical time for the energy future of the state and country.
After more than a decade of flat electricity demand, power consumption is once again on the rise, in large part because of the proliferation of data centers. And lately, metro Atlanta has been one of the country’s hottest markets for the computer server-filled and energy-hungry facilities.
Georgia Power has more renewables on its grid than at any point in its history. At the same time, the utility is also adding new gas-burning units and keeping aging coal plants running to help meet data center demands.
This summer, Georgia Power also unveiled plans for a historic expansion of its generation fleet, seeking to add 10,000 megawatts to its system in just five years. The utility wants to do so with a mix dominated by gas-fired power plants, placing its weight on polluting and pricey fossil fuels.
The company needs the PSC’s approval to move forward with the build out, but the decision in that case will be made by the current commission. The PSC will vote on Georgia Power’s request Dec. 19, less than two weeks before the newly elected Democrats are set to take office on Jan. 1.
About the Authors
Drew Kann is a reporter at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution covering climate change and environmental issues. His passion is for stories that capture how humans are responding to a changing environment. He is a proud graduate of the University of Georgia and Northwestern University, and prior to joining the AJC, he held various roles at CNN.
Kristi Swartz is an AJC contributing writer covering climate change and related matters. She writes about how climate change impacts people’s lives, from extreme weather hitting parts of the state more frequently, to higher electricity bills, insurance premiums and health care expenses.
