With 151 of 159 counties reporting, it appears the two Republican incumbents in the race have won reelection to the Georgia Public Service Commission.
Stan Wise won about 66 percent of the vote to return to the District 5 seat, which represents western Georgia, while Chuck Eaton took about 52 percent of the vote to return to the District 3 seat, which represents metro Atlanta.
This will be Eaton’s second six-year term on the PSC and Wise’s fourth.
Eaton outpaced Democrat Steve Oppenheimer and Libertarian Brad Ploeger.
Wise, from Marietta, had no Democrat opponent and defeated Libertarian candidate, David Staples.
Commissioners make $116,452.32 a year.
The PSC decides how much you pay Georgia Power, Atlanta Gas Light and your local phone company. Next year the agency will review Georgia Power’s long-term plan for how it will provide power to its 2.5 million customers and set the utility’s rates. The agency also will consider expanding a pipeline replacement program for Atlanta Gas Light, which distributes natural gas to marketers.
The PSC also reviews the cost and schedule for Georgia Power’s $6.1 billion portion of the massive project to build twin nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle near Augusta. The $14 billion project is the nation’s first new, from-scratch reactor project in 30 years.
The three other commissioners are in the middle of their terms. Two will be up for election in 2014 and the other in 2016.
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