Georgia Public Service Commission fails citizens as it approves 12% increase in Georgia Power bills

Thanks to the continued failings of the members of the Georgia Public Service Commission in its role to protect consumers, electricity bills for Georgia Power Co. customers will be going up 12% beginning in June.

Last week, the members of the PSC gave the nod to the latest request for an increase and placed on the backs of ratepayers a greater burden to pay increased rates for their utility services to a monopoly company that is reporting billion dollar revenues during their quarterly reports. 

The five Republican commissioners voted unanimously to let Georgia Power collect an additional $6.6 billion from its 2.7 million customers over the next three years. Some say this will boost a typical residential bill to $147.50 a month, up $15.90 from the current $131.60, but this is on top of the rate increase they got at the end of 2022, that took effect in January 2023, and the other rate increases they are expected to ask for later this year to cover Plant Vogel and other costs when its third reactor reaches full operation.

Commissioners adopted an agreement that regulatory staff members and the unit of Atlanta-based Southern Co. reached last month, which conveniently excluded the requests Georgians pleaded for. Among their requests, citizens and environmentalists urged the PSC Commissioners to force Georgia Power to bear some rising fuel costs because it has shifted its generation portfolio to depend on natural gas, but those requests fell on deaf ears with PSC members. 

The all-Republican PSC has favored utility and industry interests over everyday Georgians since 2008, and we continue to see the results that are hurting families and straining the pocketbooks of working Georgians.

Some consumers have asked what they can do about the PSC and the answer is simple: vote for your own self interest and vote them out of office once and for all. It’s time for new voices with a focus on consumer protections, clean energy, and lower bills. Several positions on the PSC are going to be on the next election ballot and voters have two strong pro citizen candidates in Patty Durand and Shelia Edwards. Together, they will protect you and your families as the newest members of the PSC and hold this agency accountable to Georgians, not big businesses.

For more information on Patty and Shelia,

Visit www.PattyforPSC.com
Visit www.ElectShelia.com