Democrats now hold a majority on Georgia’s five-member Public Service Commission after winning both seats on the ballot. The shift gives the party its first majority on the utility regulator in 30 years, with decisions ahead that could shape Georgia Power’s energy plans and customer rates.
Peter Hubbard retained the District 3 seat, defeating former Commissioner Fitz Johnson. Hubbard had unseated Johnson in the previous year’s election, which gave Hubbard a one-year term. In District 5, Shelia Edwards defeated Republican Josh Tolbert for the seat recently vacated by Tricia Pridemore.
When the Associated Press called the races Tuesday night, Hubbard was leading Johnson by 13 percentage points, while Edwards led Tolbert by 10 points.
The commission regulates utilities including Georgia Power, and its authority covers how the state’s largest utility generates electricity and what customers pay. It has faced greater scrutiny amid rising power bills and Georgia Power’s forecast of a large increase in electricity demand from data centers.
The new majority follows two earlier Democratic wins. Hubbard and District 2 Commissioner Alicia Johnson joined a commission that had been entirely Republican since 2006. Both Democrats have dissented on some decisions this year and have said a third vote would give them more ability to press for changes to the utility’s rates, operations and energy mix.
Georgia Power’s next long-term plan for producing and delivering electricity is due in 2028. The review will give the commission and interest groups an opportunity to weigh in on issues including power plants and transmission lines. A rate case is due after the plan; it would be the first since 2022.
Current commissioners also expect Georgia Power to submit another plan update in 2027, similar to the update it filed in 2023, as the utility works to supply electricity for data centers. Decisions about the energy mix also have climate implications: burning fossil fuels to generate electricity is a leading source of greenhouse gas emissions.
Yolonda Harris
News Now Georgia
