PSC not holding utilities accountable
The guest opinion column by candidate for PSC Commissioner Fitz Johnson was one of the most disingenuous things I’ve read in a long time. (“Ga. PSC protects from costly liberal rules,” AJC Oct. 27). He cites other states’ rate hikes, a three-year rate freeze, data centers pay their fair share, and holding utilities accountable, among other assertions.
Let’s look at the facts:
- Georgia Power has gotten every rate increase it’s asked for. Six rate increases since 2022. Its permitted rate of return is set to an astonishing 9.5% to 11.9%, one of the highest in the country. This is not holding utilities accountable.
- The three-year rate freeze is a sham, and PSC commissioners should be ashamed. What the three-year freeze does is lock in that 9.5% to 11.9% rate of return and your high bills for three years, instead of a competent commission reducing them. That will not count the rate increases (plural) next year for hurricane damage recovery, fuel costs and other items.
- The rate that Georgia Power charges data centers is 60% below the national average, and residential customers are paying significantly higher rates than data centers to make up for it.
- According to the Energy & Policy Institute, more than 87% of the campaign contributions to Fitz Johnson come from donors tied to entities regulated by the PSC — for example, contributions from lawyers at Troutman Pepper, the law firm representing Georgia Power.
- A dirty little secret is that none of the current five commissioners live in Georgia Power territory; they live in electric membership corporation territory, where rates are significantly lower than Georgia Power’s, so their decisions on Georgia Power do not affect them.
For all these reasons, and more, I will be voting Democrat for the first time in my life of almost 82 years.
BILL NORTON, DUNWOODY
Use state excess for food, medical benefits
Gov. Brian Kemp, I have a suggestion on how you can spend some of your excess budget exceeding $14 billion if you can lay aside your political career for a moment.
There are and will continue to be many, many Georgians who are going hungry. Many have lost their jobs because of the tariffs and the government shutdown. Many will be unable to afford health insurance, and many people will die as a result. Believe it or not, there are a lot of poor people in our state who rely on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), not because they are lazy, but some have not had opportunities that others have had, and many are old, and some are severely disabled.
Please do the right thing and help these Georgians out. I am begging you to do the right thing. It breaks my heart to know that children, adults and seniors will go hungry and not get the medical care they so need.
LINDA ENGLISH LYLE, ALPHARETTA
