There are two Public Service Commission seats up for grabs this election.
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For voters like Melissa Mitchell, it’s hard to ignore those electricity bills. “I’m like, why is it looking like we’re on the uptrend,” said Mitchell Monday.
It’s the reason she and many others are paying close attention, to the two Public Service Commission races on the ballot in November.
“Before Georgia power, or if you’re on an EMC, before they can raise the rates, they have to go before the public service commission, which is a five-person board and make a case as to why the rates should go up,” explained UGA Professor Dr. Charles Bullock.
The Georgia PSC regulates Georgia’s electric, natural gas and telecommunications utilities, making the commission’s decisions important to consumers and businesses. In 2025, two of the five seats on the historically republican controlled commission flipped to democrats. This election could change the control of the board.
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“If Democrats pick up the extra seat. They already have two out of the five. So if they win that third one, then they would be in control of the Public Service Commission for the first time in a generation,” explained Dr. Bullock.
The non-profit Southface Institute that promotes sustainable building, is pushing voters to know more than just party lines.
“Things like data centers, though, are somewhat apolitical. There’s not, like, a single representation of Democrat or Republican as far as some of these issues,” said Nathan Bessette with Southface Institute.
“I think the conversation is shifting more towards how do the data centers pay for their portion of what they’re bringing on the grid? And so, the Public Service Commission really trying to understand and navigate that is, I think, really a critical issue,” added Bessette.
The board voted just last December to approve one of the largest expansions of power in Georgia’s history, that would see Georgia Power promise $8.50 in bill relief if data centers are unable to cover the costs of building new power plants.
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