FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 8th, 2024
Atlanta, GA: This week, Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger canceled the fall elections for the state’s Public Service Commission. This decision comes after the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the current election structure disenfranchised the state’s black voters. Elections have already been delayed for two years. Two current commissioners’ terms expired in 2022, but they remain in office. Fitz Johnson, who was appointed by Governor Kemp to fill the seat in 2021, has never been elected to the position he currently serves.
In response to this unprecedented decision, Georgia Conservation Voters Executive Director Brionté McCorkle released the following statement:
“Georgians are once again witnessing an attack on our democracy. Canceling elections and leaving unelected, term-expired leaders in power is not something this state or, frankly, this country should stand for. This commission has relentlessly approved rate hikes for everyday Georgians and blocked new clean energy development across the state. Discrimination in our elections cannot be an excuse to never hold them in the first place. We will not stand by while they refuse to be held accountable. Georgians demand their voices be heard.”
About the Georgia PSC: The Public Service Commission (PSC) is a body of five elected officials who regulate our electricity, natural gas, and telecommunications across Georgia. They decide how much Georgia Power customers pay for power and what kind of energy sources Georgia Power uses, which is important for climate. We want them to move away from expensive, dirty fossil fuels towards affordable, clean, renewable energy.