Energy Updates from the Field by Patty Durand

And then there were two: Pridemore is out

This is a fast moving week for energy in Georgia so despite intense national and international news with Iran, Epstein, and a U.S. Constitution that no longer seems to matter I’ve got to elbow my way in. We’ve won some battles so let’s celebrate those while we struggle to win the war, that being a Public Service Commission that is serving the people instead of Georgia Power.

Southern Company Earnings call todayBefore I get to our wins and losses, Southern Company’s 4th quarter earnings call is today at 1 PM where they will also announce their gigantic profits for 2025 – so gigantic that last week they began floating “we’re going to lower your bills this summer!” messaging for damage control which nets out to a stupid $1/month “reduction”. More on that later but for now I want you to know that earnings calls for publicly traded stocks are open to the public – you do not need to own shares. Click here if you want to attend and start the weeping early: they’re profits will be difficult for us to comprehend and bear given the realities of what their enormous profits represents for us regular people.

Georgia’s missing Consumer Utility Counsel

First up, the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities committee hearing was yesterday for Senate bill 94 to reestablish a Consumer Utility Counsel at the Public Service Commission. Many of you know that I have long railed for to have that back: its loss has been devastating for the people of Georgia and delicious for Southern Company shareholders. We heard testimony from sponsoring Senator Hufstetler, former commissioner Bobby Baker, and GCV lobbyist Doug Teper. And they were all mighty fine, speaking from positions of knowledge and authority about what the CUC did in the past and what it could do again.

But of course, they lie! So it seems according to Senators Walker, Ginn, and worst of all, Brass, all of whom voted against the bill. Walker is new to the committee but Brass and Ginn both voted for this bill last year, but somehow, unfathomably, decided that this year that very same bill is bad, that it’s just a bad bad thing to have a representative at the PSC working solely on behalf of small consumers. I won’t bother to share their disingenuous questions to Mr. Baker and Senator Hufstetler, but I will show you their votes: hands raised were to approve and hands down opposed. While this legislation DID pass out of committee, it is not good that Senator Brass, who chairs the Rules Committee, now opposes the same bill he supported in 2024 & 2025. Senator Cowsert in the middle voted to approve even though his hand is not up. He counts votes and he included himself as a yes.

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