Three Republicans are vying to have a say in how much metro Atlantans pay for energy and oversee progress on a nuclear plant expansion.
Incumbent Commissioner Tim Echols, elected in 2010, faces Kellie Pollard Austin of Lawrenceville and Michelle Miller of Warner Robins on Tuesday for Public Service Commissioner for Eastern District 2.
No Democrats are in the race.
The winner of the contest will be busy. After years of rate hikes, the PSC struck a deal to freeze increases through July 2019 as part of its approval of Southern Company’s recent purchase of Atlanta Gas & Light. Southern is the parent of Georgia Power, the state’s biggest electric utility.
Cost overruns and delays plague new reactors at Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle in Burke County, and the PSC will be involved in deciding how much customers ultimately pay. Georgia Power also has said it will consider building a new nuclear plant sometime after 2030. Meanwhile environmentalists are pushing for more sun, wind and other renewable energy sources.
In a recent editorial in the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Echols extolled the progress he and fellow commissioners made in rate reductions.
“Our rates are about 14 percent below the national average,”he wrote. “Not bad considering we don’t drill for gas or oil, and have no mines of coal or uranium.”
Miller proposes to create a conference every other year to provide solutions to solve electric, natural gas, and telecommunication issues. She wants to utilize energy technologies to create jobs, generate revenue and help local communities save money.
“I would establish partnerships with businesses, power providers, and government officials, so that every resident can be a well-informed consumer,” Miller said.
Austin has sought to differentiate herself through her strong support for net neutrality, the idea that the Web should be unencumbered and Internet Service Providers like cable and phone companies should not give different websites preferential treatment for a fee.
“I will actively fight the expansion of government programs and increasing mandated taxes,” Austin said in a release. “These are opposing philosophies of ‘Big Government’ versus ‘Limited Government’, and I will always side with limited government.”
About the Author
