Two seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission will be on the ballot on November 4. Two incumbent Republican commissioners— Tim Echols of District 2 and Fitz Johnson of District 3--are being challenged by Democratic candidates Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard, respectively. The PSC regulates utility rates, and the Democrats are emphasizing that years of Republican control of the PSC have produced the surge in electricity rates for Georgians. Echols, for example, has been on the Commission for 14 years. The Georgia Recorder reports that the election's low profile and the prospects of low voter turnout will work to the Democrats' advantage.
The Recorder provides extensive recent quotes from the candidates on their policy positions. It also quotes Charles Hua of PowerLines, an organization focusing on consumer energy issues, who said in an interview that nationally, utility bills are the “fastest driver of inflation right now,” adding that utility bills in Georgia “have increased 33% in the last two years, translating to about $500 per year.”