Majority-Making Third Seat on PSC Is on the Ballot in 2026.
New reporting from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution spotlights how Democratic Public Service Commissioner Peter Hubbard is fighting to protect Georgians’ wallets from AI data center-driven power bill increases. While Republican commissioners are once again taking a laissez-faire approach to rate hikes and failing to stand up for Georgians, Peter is demanding protections against corporations passing their costs on to ratepayers.
In a meeting about a planned $20 billion data center expected to cover hundreds of acres, Commissioner Hubbard made it clear that he will object to any AI data center deal that does not protect ratepayers. Meanwhile, Republican Public Service Commission Chairman Jason Shaw summed up the Republican PSC majority’s attitude towards protecting ratepayers, stating, “I’m just going to stay out of [PSC staff’s] way.”
In response, Democratic Party of Georgia Chair Charlie Bailey released the following statement:
“Georgians don’t want Public Service Commissioners who ‘stay out of the way’ while power companies and AI billionaires screw them over. The Republican PSC majority has shown time and again that they’ll rubber-stamp AI billionaires passing their costs on to Georgians. That’s why in November, Georgians will re-elect Peter Hubbard and elect Shelia Edwards to make a Democratic majority on the PSC that works for the people, not corporate profits.”
For 30 years, the Republican majority on the Georgia Public Service Commission has given power corporations free rein to pass their costs onto Georgians and rake in profits on the backs of ratepayers – including allowing power companies to impose six rate hikes in two years during the last election cycle, which added over $500 per year to the average Georgian’s power bill.
###