10
Loading video...
By Tom Sanders
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Georgia Democrats seized control of the state’s powerful Public Service Commission for the first time in nearly three decades last week, promising radical change.
The commission, which is responsible for regulating Georgia Power, the state’s largest energy provider, has been dominated by Republicans for the past 20 years.
Tuesday saw Democrat Peter Hubbard successfully defend his seat against former Commissioner Fitz Johnson, and newcomer Sheila Edwards win the race for an open seat. Democrats now hold a rare three-person majority on the commission, and have promised to use the momentum to reduce residents' energy bills and invest in clean energy.
Read More on News
"The people have spoken," Edwards said following her victory. "They are sick and tired of what's going on. They want something better for their community. They want something better for their families. And they realize they're not going to get it with the status quo."
The Public Service Commission (PSC) plays an important role in setting gas and electricity prices for consumers in the state. It also has the power to influence where the state's energy comes from, whether it be from fossil fuels, solar, nuclear, or renewable.
The five-person commission was made up entirely of Republicans from 2006 until the start of the year, after Hubbard and Johnson unseated the incumbents in a series of special elections. They have since vowed to tackle the high price of energy and a massive spike in consumption driven by data centers in rural areas. Edwards' election has shifted the balance of power toward Democrats.
Edwards’ victory came after Republican Commissioner Tricia Pridemore opted not to run for reelection to focus on a bid for Congress.
After failing in her Congressional run, Pridemore now works for a corporation responsible for building data centers.
Data Centers and Affordability
The proliferation of data centers has been a huge issue for Georgian voters in recent years. Georgia Power previously said that the increased revenue generated by the facilities would offset the price of the infrastructure needed to house them.
Georgia Power doubled down on its claims in August with the surprise announcement of a massive new OpenAI data center in Savannah. This is estimated to require an additional 3,200 megawatts of energy to maintain. Georgia Power said the deal would shave $15 a month off the "typical" customer’s energy bill, but refused to elaborate on the specifics of the deal.
A heavily-redacted copy of the contract with OpenAI did little to assuage voters, who were only provided with a summary after the deal was confirmed. Details such as service contracts, energy prices and construction costs were not made public, leading to complaints about a lack of transparency.
The Democrats have promised to address voters' concerns about transparency and the price of their energy bills as part of a wider investigation into Georgia Power. "There’s a long laundry list of things that need to be looked into," Hubbard said following his reelection as commissioner last week. "And so we’ll have to triage, in fact, and decide how best to move forward."
One of the commission’s top priorities will be launching an "affordability docket." It will seek to delve into the reason for high energy prices and ways consumers can save money through a series of hearings, Hubbard said.
The Democrats also plan on applying further scrutiny to Georgia Power’s requests to further adjust customer rates, he added, although he warned that any changes to power bills may still take time to trickle down to consumers.
...
Democrats Tighten Grip on Georgia
Although Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock's victories in the U.S. senatorial race captured national headlines last week, the PSC flip and Keisha Lance Bottoms’ election as governor mark a rare non-federal electoral victory for Georgian Democrats in the traditionally red state.
Their victories come as part of a sweep of statewide offices in Georgia by the Democrats, which saw them cruise to victory in all 10 races and gain a majority in the state House for the first time since 2004.
Democrats also gained control of the Attorney General, Secretary of State, Lt. Governor and Agriculture Commissioner’s offices, tightening their grip on the state’s levers of power.
"I think it's safe to say that we are a blue state," Bottoms told ABC on Sunday. "I said throughout the course of this campaign that we would show people across Georgia and across the nation that sending Senators Ossoff and Warnock to the Senate and flipping Georgia blue in '20 was not a fluke, that we were on a path toward truly showing everyone that we were solidly blue, and we showed that in a really big way on Tuesday.
"At the end of the day, the issues that we're facing transcend party lines," Bottoms added.
"Tonight’s outcome is not what our candidates worked so hard to achieve," the Republican Party of Georgia said in a statement on Tuesday. "We will strengthen our local parties, welcome new voices, and develop leaders who understand that public service starts with showing up and listening."
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Matthew Cannon and James Debens
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines