What Georgia Democrats PSC wins will and won’t mean for your power bills
For months, social media has been littered with posts from Georgians stunned and at times angry about their skyrocketing power bills.
On Tuesday night, experts say it appears many Georgia voters took their frustration out on Republican incumbents partially responsible for those bills, placing Democrats in two seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission, which sets Georgia Power’s rates.
Democrats Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard handily defeated Republicans Tim Echols and Fitz Johnson, capturing the first victories in non-federal statewide elections for Georgia Democrats in nearly 20 years. Their elections also give Democrats their first foothold on the powerful PSC, the state’s top energy and utility regulator, since the early 2000s.
On a night when high-profile contests across the country went blue, Georgia’s races weren’t the only ones where energy affordability was a factor.
Democrat Mikie Sherrill was elected governor of New Jersey with a pledge to declare a state of emergency on power costs. The “Affordable Virginia” plan pitched to voters by Democrat Abigail Spanberger — Virginia’s governor-elect — also promised to lower power bills and protect residents from data center costs.
Charles Hua, founder and executive director of the national energy consumer education nonprofit PowerLines, called the blowout wins a “sea change moment for Georgia’s energy landscape.”
“It was a searing indictment against rising utility bills that showed voters were frustrated about this issue,” Hua said.
In a statement, Georgia Power thanked Echols and Johnson for their service and congratulated the Democrats on their wins.
“Georgia Power has always worked constructively with the elected members of the Georgia Public Service Commission, and we will continue to do so,” the company said.
Rate relief unlikely for now
The incoming commissioners have pledged to curb rising power bills and push Georgia Power to switch from polluting fossil fuels to renewables like solar. But Republicans still control three of the PSC’s five seats, and any commission decisions require votes from a majority of members.
The Republican majority — plus the nature of cases scheduled to come before the PSC — means the new commissioners may not be able to provide much bill relief, at least in the near term.
Once in office, the first major cases that could affect bills deal with Georgia Power’s storm damage costs and its fuel expenses.
Georgia Power said earlier this year its tab for storm damages and repairs totaled $862 million, almost all caused by 2024’s Hurricane Helene. As soon as February, the utility can ask that customers pay at least some of those costs, but exactly how much will be up to the PSC.
Around the same time, Georgia Power is slated to ask customers to pay for the cost of the fuel used at its power plants — from coal, oil and gas to nuclear fuel rods. State law gives the utility wide latitude to charge customers for fuel costs, so the commissioners won’t have much leeway to contest expenses.
Georgia Power has claimed the combination of storm and fuel expenses may not increase bills. The company said it expects to have extra revenue from power-hungry data centers, which it could use to lower bills. That’s far from certain, however.
‘A more contested process’
Wall Street has also taken notice of the election results.
Analysts for the investment banking firm Jefferies on Wednesday downgraded its stock guidance for Southern Co., Georgia Power’s parent, from “buy” to “hold,” stating the utility’s profits, which rank in the “top tier” of shareholder-owned electric companies, will be in doubt in the coming years. They cautioned that the days of the PSC easily approving Georgia Power’s requests to raise rates and build expensive power plants are in the past, at least for now.
“(The new PSC) does imply a more contested process,” wrote Julien Dumoulin-Smith, Jefferies’ managing director and senior equity analyst.
The case set to have the biggest influence on bills will be decided Dec. 19, days before the new commissioners take office on Jan. 1.
It revolves around Georgia Power’s unprecedented proposal to add 10,000 megawatts — roughly the generating capacity of 10 nuclear reactors — to its power fleet in just five years. The new electrons will largely be consumed by data centers, and the company has proposed meeting most of the demand by building new gas-burning power units.
Georgia Power, which earns profits on its investments in power infrastructure, continues to project sharply rising power demand to justify the fleet expansion. It also says data centers will pay their fare share for the buildout.
The plan has drawn the ire of clean energy and consumer advocates, who warn gas is a volatile fuel that will worsen global warming and pose price risks to customers. Critics also argue not all of the new power plants proposed are needed.
This summer, the PSC’s current members voted to keep Georgia Power’s basic rates steady for three years. This means it could be 2028 before the bill impacts of the data center buildout come into focus.
Liz Coyle, executive director of the consumer advocacy nonprofit Georgia Watch, said it’s important for Georgians to realize the PSC’s looming decision could “profoundly impact” Georgia Power bills for decades.
“People should see what’s in front of the commission right now as spending on the level of Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4,” Coyle said, referring to Georgia Power’s nuclear expansion, which was supposed to cost $14 billion and ended up costing more than $35 billion. The Vogtle project is a key reason why customers bills have gone up.
Soft power
It’s possible the Democrats’ winning messages around bills — and the size of their blowout victories — could influence their new Republican colleagues and state legislators to rein in power costs and protect customers, experts say.
There are two more PSC elections set for next year — Commissioner Tricia Pridemore is expected to seek reelection, and Hubbard will have to run again to hold on his post, potentially in a rematch with Fitz Johnson.
Hua of PowerLines said he’ll be watching to see how the spotlight on affordability shapes policy.
“I think if you’re a Democrat or a Republican on the commission and you saw the results, you’re going to want to do something — or at least be seen as doing something — on utility affordability,” he said.
It’s also possible momentum from the elections could revive a data center bill that fizzled at the state Legislature last year, Coyle said.
With the PSC’s permission, Georgia Power this year adopted new billing rules that allow it to charge data centers for infrastructure built to serve them. But critics say the changes still leave too much cost discretion in the utility’s hands.
Earlier this year, state Sen. Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome) introduced a measure that would go a step farther, requiring data centers pay their fair share.
The legislation, Senate Bill 34, cleared the Senate Utilities Committee but never made it to the full chamber for a vote. Coyle said that could change in 2026, and could become even more critical if the PSC approves Georgia Power’s planned data center buildout, she said.
“(It’s important) to have clear guardrails in place to make sure Georgia’s residential customers aren’t footing the bill for this massive expansion,” she said.
A note of disclosure
This coverage is supported by a partnership with Green South Foundation and Journalism Funding Partners. You can learn more and support our climate reporting by donating at AJC.com/donate/climate.
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.
