ATLANTA, Ga. — The board that sets Georgia Power’s rates will have a Democratic majority in January for the first time in 30 years, a shift that puts power bills and data center costs at the center of the state’s utility agenda.
In the Nov. 3 general election, Commissioner Peter Hubbard held his District 3 seat on the Georgia Public Service Commission by defeating former commissioner Fitz Johnson, and Shelia Edwards beat Josh Tolbert for the open District 5 seat. Republican Tricia Pridemore gave up that seat to run for Congress.
The two wins give Democrats three of the five seats, joining Commissioner Alicia Johnson, who was not on the ballot. The turnover happened fast. Before the 2025 elections, Republicans held all five seats, and last year’s results cut that to a 3-2 Republican edge. Commissioners serve six-year terms.
The commission oversees Georgia Power, the state’s largest electric utility, and has drawn more attention as residential bills climbed and data centers added heavy new demand. Both winners ran on that issue. Hubbard’s campaign cited his analysis estimating that discounted electricity for data centers shifts more than $1 billion in grid costs onto households, and Edwards’ platform said data centers and AI facilities should pay the full cost of the infrastructure built for them.
Customers should not expect quick changes on their bills. Georgia Power’s next full rate case is scheduled for 2028, after a temporary rate freeze approved last year. The Democratic commissioners have said they want closer review of that case, of the utility’s long-range plans for building and delivering power, and of its demand forecasts. Hubbard has also proposed a rate review for the state’s natural gas utilities.
Georgia Power has argued that revenue from data centers will more than cover the new infrastructure needed to serve them and will help hold down rates for homes and small businesses. Its parent company, Southern Company, said on its third-quarter earnings call that it expects to work with the new commissioners on affordability.
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