FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 16, 2023
Contact: Wan Smith, GCV Education Fund, wan@gcvedfund.org, 404-666-9266; Alexis Greenblatt, Georgia Conservation Voters, alexis@gcvoters.org, 678-242-9644.
Georgia Public Service Commission Votes to Drastically Raise Bills for Georgia Power Customers
Atlanta, Georgia — On Tuesday, May 16th, the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) unanimously voted against the will of the people to raise Georgia Power bills substantially over the next three years. The money will be used to recover the $2.1 billion spent on fuel costs.
This means that Georgia Power customers can expect to pay around $16 a month more on top of their regular power bills. This comes after the PSC already voted in December 2022 to allow Georgia Power to raise their utility rates in order to “strengthen the electricity grid” even though they were already making record-breaking profits off of their customers.
The Commissioners who serve on the PSC bear the responsibility to protect their constituents from outlandish bills and fees from utility providers, and they are unabashedly ignoring the voices and best interests of the people with this decision. Environmental advocates have warned the PSC not to approve Georgia Power’s request to invest in natural gas over renewable energy – we’ve known that these prices are volatile and bound to increase. Now that they (predictably) have, Georgia Power is putting the burden on their customers to cover the costs.
Georgia Conservation Voters Education Fund (GCVEF) mobilized Georgia Power customers from across the state who have been extremely vocal at recent PSC hearings, repeatedly asking not to permit Georgia Power to raise bills this much. At one hearing, GCVEF Organizing Director Wan Smith said, “The average working-class Georgian is going to be priced out of electricity. Grandmothers, seniors, aunts, uncles are going to have to decide between medicine and the electricity bill.”
The PSC should be ashamed of their blatant disregard for Georgians’ needs. They are elected by the people to represent the people, and this decision shows they value profits over the people. GCVEF is disappointed, but not surprised, by the PSC’s decision to give Georgia Power exactly what they ask for without standing up for the interests of everyday Georgians.
Continue the fight with GCVEF by signing onto our People’s Platform for Georgia’s Future. We’re advocating for energy equity, lower bills, and economic justice for people all over the state. We will continue the work to hold the PSC accountable and make them feel the pressure to represent their constituents fairly.
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