In upset, Democrats win in PSC races that could affect Georgia Power bills

Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC

Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC

On election night, Hubbard attended a party in Atlanta hosted by the group Georgia Conservation Voters and spent much of the night talking to voters one-on-one. After ducking into a small room filled with computers and a couple of volunteers, he emerged with a crowd gathering around him to declare victory.

“There is a lot of work to be done, and I am so eager to get to work,” he told an enthusiastic crowd. “It’s been far too long that we’ve had someone — two people now — who can actually do the work of the people.”

In a statement, Alicia Johnson dedicated her win “to every volunteer who knocked on doors, every supporter who made a call, sent a donation, made a post, passed out a flyer, or sent a text, to every friend who shared our message, and every voter who believed that accountable leadership and affordable energy are worth fighting for.”

Johnson becomes the first Black woman ever elected to the PSC.

In a Facebook post just after 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Echols conceded the race and congratulated Johnson on a “well-fought victory.”

“I pray your experience on the PSC will be as meaningful as mine,” Echols added. “Godspeed to you.”

Fitz Johnson conceded soon after, too. In a statement, he said, “We knew the odds were against us with local elections driving Democratic turnout in an off-year election,” but indicated he plans to run again next year when the seat will be back on ballots.

“Voters have chosen a different direction in this election but I’m certain the underlying policies offered by the Democrats do not reflect the preferences of the majority of Georgians,” the Republican Johnson added.

The two PSC races were closely watched, with national Democrats throwing their support behind their party’s nominees.

Ken Martin, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, called the victories a rejection of the economic policies of President Donald Trump and the Republican Party.

“Johnson and Hubbard won tonight’s Georgia Public Service Commissioner race by focusing on the issue that matters most to Georgians: lowering costs,” Martin said. “This victory is a direct response to Trump’s cost-raising agenda that is squeezing pocketbooks in Georgia and across the country.”

Despite the losses, Republicans will still hold three of the PSC’s five seats and maintain their majority on the commission. But the wins give Democrats a foothold they haven’t had in decades on the state’s top utility regulator.

Before Johnson and Hubbard’s victories, Democrats hadn’t won a PSC race since 2000, when David Burgess won and became the commission’s first Black member since its inception in 1879.

The Democrats’ wins will likely be seen as a reflection of voters growing discontent over their sharply rising Georgia Power bills.

The Republican-controlled commission has approved six rate increases for the utility in roughly three years. For residential customers, that’s meant their monthly Georgia Power bills have climbed by an average of $43 since the start of 2023.

With a barrage of ads telling voters their “power bill is on the ballot,” Hubbard, Johnson and Democrat-aligned groups sought to tap into Georgia Power customers’ frustration to drive turnout. Democrats said Tuesday the wins showed framing the race around power bills and cost of living concerns resonated with voters.

“They talked about how it was impacting their families every day,” said Allie Brown, deputy director of Georgia Conservation Voters. “It was time to vote for change.”

Credit: Natrice Miller

Credit: Natrice Miller

The Republicans tried to beat back those attacks by reminding Georgians they voted this summer to keep Georgia Power’s base rates steady for three years, though that “freeze” comes with some asterisks. Echols and Fitz Johnson also argued their policies aided Georgia’s successful courtship of electric vehicle, battery and other factories, and warned the Democrats “California-style” energy policies would put that all at risk.

The races were Georgians first chance to cast ballots in a PSC general election since 2020.

Elections for the commission were postponed in 2022 and again in 2024 because of a legal fight over Georgia’s statewide voting system and whether it discriminates against Black voters.

To put the elections back on their staggered schedule after the delays, Kemp signed legislation in 2024 resetting the PSC’s election calendar.

As a result, Hubbard will serve a one-year term and could run for reelection next year, while Alicia Johnson will serve a five-year term. Going forward, commissioners will serve the usual six-year terms.

Hubbard and Johnson will join the commission at a critical time for the energy future of the state and country.

After more than a decade of flat electricity demand, power consumption is once again on the rise, in large part because of the proliferation of data centers. And lately, metro Atlanta has been one of the country’s hottest markets for the computer server-filled and energy-hungry facilities.

Georgia Power has more renewables on its grid than at any point in its history. At the same time, the utility is also adding new gas-burning units and keeping aging coal plants running to help meet data center demands.

This summer, Georgia Power also unveiled plans for a historic expansion of its generation fleet, seeking to add 10,000 megawatts to its system in just five years. The utility wants to do so with a mix dominated by gas-fired power plants, placing its weight on polluting and pricey fossil fuels.

The company needs the PSC’s approval to move forward with the build out, but the decision in that case will be made by the current commission. The PSC will vote on Georgia Power’s request Dec. 19, less than two weeks before the newly elected Democrats are set to take office on Jan. 1.

Other Democrats, meanwhile, are already looking ahead to 2026, when many statewide races, including contests for governor, lieutenant governor and one of the U.S. Senate seats will be on the ballot. Democrat Jason Esteves, a former state senator who is running for governor, said the PSC wins were critical going into next year.

“We needed a win,” Esteves said, using a basketball analogy. “Sometimes you need a win like this to start a streak and take it to the championship.”