Georgia Democrats are hoping to capitalize on growing backlash over soaring electricity bills and the rapid expansion of data centers as they seek to flip control of the state’s Public Service Commission, the powerful regulatory committee that oversees Georgia Power and other utilities.
The five-member commission, which sets electricity, natural gas, and telecommunications rates, had long attracted little public attention. But that changed after Georgia Power customers were hit with six PSC-approved rate increases since 2023, driven in part by the costs of bringing two new nuclear reactors at a plant online and growing grid demand from data centers.
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Speaking to supporters recently, commission member Peter Hubbard framed the race as Democrats’ opportunity to take control of the commission.
“November is our chance to get that third crucial vote on the PSC,” he said. “With your help, we can lock in a 3-2 majority for the next four years.”
Democrats made historic gains in last year’s special election, when Hubbard and Alicia Johnson defeated Republican incumbents to become the first Democrats elected to statewide constitutional office in Georgia since 2006. Their victories cut the Republican majority on the commission to 3-2 and set the stage for another pivotal election this year, with Hubbard seeking reelection and Democrat Shelia Edwards running for an open seat.
The commission’s role has become increasingly intertwined with Georgia’s booming data center industry. The state now hosts more than 250 such facilities, and the surge in electricity demand has fueled debates over who should pay for new generation and transmission infrastructure. In May, Georgia Power reached a preliminary agreement with the PSC to keep base electricity rates unchanged for the next three years, though data-center-related costs remain a contentious issue.
The industry has also drawn scrutiny over an unconventional approach to powering new facilities. Serverfarm became the first developer in Georgia to pursue a so-called pop-up power plant, hiring Houston-based VoltaGrid to construct a 90-megawatt natural gas plant adjacent to its data center. Environmental groups and state regulators allege construction began before the company obtained the required air permits, potentially violating both the federal Clean Air Act and Georgia utility law.
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“The whole concept of permitting is to allow regulators and the public the opportunity to weigh in on the appropriate protections and controls to address a project’s environmental impacts,” said Jennifer Whitfield, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center. “Beginning construction before that process is complete undermines it, and it’s illegal.”
After local residents documented the construction, Sustainable Newton and the Southern Environmental Law Center urged the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to investigate the project and pursue enforcement action.
