Georgia voters have ended a 30-year Republican hold on the state’s Public Service Commission, electing Democrats Peter Hubbard and Sheila Edwards and giving their party Control of the five-member regulator for the first time in three decades.
The commission oversees public utilities, including Georgia Power, and makes decisions on rates, service reliability, resource plans and major infrastructure investments. The election took place against a backdrop of frustration over higher electricity bills, data center development and demands for greater oversight of Georgia Power.
Hubbard, who won a seat in a special election last year, defeated former Republican commissioner Fitz Johnson by 12.8 percentage points. Edwards, a community activist and business owner, beat first-time candidate Josh Tolbert by 10.6 points. Hubbard’s reelection gives him a term through 2032.
Both Democrats campaigned on consumer costs and accountability. Hubbard said in a social media post that he and Edwards would work toward energy policy that puts Georgians first. Edwards said she would pursue lower utility bills, transparency at the commission and a greater contribution from large data centers toward the costs they create.
Republicans held all five seats from 2006 until 2025, when Hubbard and fellow Democrat Alicia Johnson won commission seats. During the years of Republican control, Georgia Power customers faced several rounds of rate increases. Since 2023, six additional increases have added about $44 to monthly bills, according to the source report.
Costs associated with the expansion of Plant Vogtle, a nuclear facility in Burke County, drove many of the increases. Construction began in 2009 and was initially expected to finish in 2017, but delays extended the project to 15 years and pushed it more than $17 billion over budget. Customers are also paying for gas plant construction intended to supply electricity to data centers.
The Democratic candidates won despite being outspent. Republican candidates and outside groups raised more than $1 million combined, compared with less than $600,000 for the Democrats. Outside spending in the races exceeded $5 million, including more than $3 million to support Tolbert and about $1.5 million through Georgia Conservation Voters to support Hubbard and Edwards.
The new majority will have an opportunity to act on campaign pledges to scrutinize Georgia Power’s costs and strengthen consumer protections. Hubbard and Johnson previously opposed a proposed $16 billion grid expansion dominated by natural gas, which passed the commission 3-2. Hubbard also helped prompt an investigation into whether data centers and other large customers are paying their share of fuel costs.
Edwards has campaigned for lower energy costs, more scrutiny of data center expenses and greater transparency from Georgia Power. Those priorities align with the agenda Hubbard and Johnson have pursued on the commission. Community groups involved in the campaigns have said they plan to monitor the commissioners’ work and press for further consumer-focused measures, including proposals at the state legislature.
Sources: Inside Climate News.