As Election Day nears, Georgia Democrats see opportunity in controversial utility-rate hikes

ATLANTA (CN) — Explosive data center growth is driving turnout at Georgia polling stations as Democrats see political opportunity in a mostly red state.

For the first time in nearly five years, voters will decide two seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission, the powerful utility regulator that controls electricity rates and energy policy statewide.

The commission has gained increased attention as Georgia Power, the state’s largest electric utility with 2.8 million customers, is requesting approval for 10,000 megawatts of new power generation capacity over the next five years.

That demand comes largely from Georgia’s surging data center development, with metro Atlanta becoming the fastest growing market for server farms in the U.S. But the data center boom, driven by the rapid of artificial intelligence and information technology, has raised concerns about the amount of land and energy the complexes consume.

Critics say the costs to power them are falling on Georgia residents and local businesses. Data centers use 10 to 50 times as much energy as a typical office building with the same square footage, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

All that has created a window of opportunity for local Democrats seeking to bring change to the all-Republican commission. The body faces criticism for approving six utility rate hikes since late 2022, increasing the average Georgia Power residential customer’s monthly bill by about $43.

“There are already multiple plans to set up data centers in Georgia, and we’ve seen ample evidence that we could be the ones covering the bill,” said Navy Eger, a 30-year-old Georgia resident. “My hope is that by adding two Democrats to the commission, we stand more of a chance of pushback on these reckless proposals.”

In May, Georgia Power struck a deal with the five commissioners to keep its current base rates in place through 2028.

That rate freeze was touted by Commission Vice Chair Tim Echols.

As he fights to retain his position, he says keeping Georgia’s energy rates low is his top priority.

“Electing Tim Echols again gives you a steady hand at the Public Service Commission in keeping Georgia at the forefront of business in America,” Echols said. “I have moved Georgia into seventh place for installed solar, built the only nuclear energy plant to be completed in 36 years and frozen Georgia Power’s base rates for three years.”

Echols was an unwavering supporter of Plant Vogtle, Georgia’s four-unit nuclear power plant. He said he would like to see the construction of more large nuclear reactors, which are among the safest modes of electricity generation.

Serving on the commission since 2011, the incumbent Republican is now up for reelection.

He faces a new Democratic challenger in his district — Alicia Johnson.

Johnson said she wants to fight against unjust rate increases, advocate for ratepayer protections and push for bolder investment in clean, affordable energy solutions like solar and wind.

She says she wants to hold Georgia Power accountable for its requested increases and ensure they are not overestimating how much power they actually need.

Besides data centers, the company has also been criticized for its use of “trade secret” designations and redacted information in submissions to the commission. One vocal critic, Patty Durand, was arrested last week after she took a booklet labeled “Georgia Power Trade Secrets” during a commission hearing.

Also fueling Democratic engagement: concerns about climate change and support for clean energy.

Last year, renewable resources accounted for 12% of Georgia’s total in-state electricity generation, mostly from solar energy and biomass from wood, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

And yet also last year, the commission green-lit new gas-fired turbines. Earlier this year, they approved a Georgia Power plan to keep coal plants open past their previously approved retirement dates.

In District Three, which includes most of the southern suburbs of Atlanta, incumbent Republican Fitz Johnson is trying to fend off a challenge from Democrat Peter Hubbard.

It will be the first time the Army veteran and businessman faces voters after he was appointed by Republican Governor Brian Kemp in 2021 to replace former commissioner Chuck Eaton, who became a state judge.

Although Johnson voted to allow Georgia Power to push most of $10 billion in costs from the over-budget expansion of Plant Vogtle to the company’s ratepayers, he has blamed the rate increases on inflation and pointed to higher costs in Democratic-led states like California.

“When liberals in Washington tried to force their woke Green New Deal on Georgia and cost our families and crush our businesses, Fitz stood up for ratepayers and stopped their agenda at the state line,” Johnson’s campaign site states.

Hubbard, on the other hand, is a renewable energy advocate. While the solar developer and consultant has not held public office before, he is a familiar face at the commission, having testified in several Georgia Power cases representing his nonprofit, the Georgia Center for Energy Solutions.

With 15 years of experience developing electric utility “Integrated Resource Plans,” Hubbard says he has already prepared ones that prioritize lowering power bills through investments in low-cost and highly reliable solar, battery storage, virtual power plants and energy efficiency.

Against that backdrop, residents of some Georgia cities are also voting on city council and board of education seats.

Some are even choosing a mayor. That includes in Marietta, where 24-year-old Democrat Sam Foster is attempting to become its youngest and first Black chief executive. Foster has garnered wide support from the city’s young adults and Democratic community as he tries to unseat Steve Tumlin, a 78-year-old Republican who has held the position for 15 years.

“We need new blood in the area,” said Morgan Younce, a 33-year-old Marietta resident. “Tumlin is holding back progress and represents old Marietta.”

In Atlanta, the state’s capital and most populous city, Democrat Andre Dickens is attempting to win a second term as mayor. He says his four years in office have reduced violent crime and increased affordable housing units. He faces three challengers: Helmut Domagalski, a corporate consultant; Kalema Jackson, a former Atlanta police officer; and Eddie Meredith, a community advocate.

Over 500,000 voters turned out for early voting ahead of election day on Tuesday, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

Elections for the commission seats have not been held since 2020, due to a federal lawsuit over Georgia’s statewide voting system and whether it diluted Black voting opportunity. A judge blocked the election in 2022, but the 11th Circuit reversed that ruling the following year. After the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case last year, Georgia lawmakers passed a bill extending the commissioners’ six-year terms.

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