Georgia's new Democratic PSC to challenge gas plant buildout

Georgia voters have flipped the state's Public Service Commission to Democratic control for the first time in 30 years. The new majority now holds the power to challenge Georgia Power's massive, recently approved gas-fired power plant buildout and its associated costs for ratepayers.

Voters reelected Democratic incumbent Peter Hubbard after he beat Republican incumbent Fitz Johnson last November for a one-year term. Democrats won every statewide race, securing two seats on the powerful utility regulator and ending a three-decade Republican majority. Under its new leadership, the commission could order Georgia Power to provide more transparency into its data center forecasts and apply more stringent requirements for those firms to cover their own costs. "We're going to factor all of this into our analysis," Hubbard said.

The gas buildout and its cost to customers

In December 2025, the Republican-led PSC approved Georgia Power's plan to build nearly 10 gigawatts of new gas-fired power plants and batteries to serve proposed data centers. The commission approved the plan despite recommendations from its own staff to approve only about one-third of that capacity immediately, given the speculative nature of the data center growth projections.

The five new gas-burning plants planned as part of that buildout could cost customers an estimated $50 billion to $60 billion over their multi-decade lifespan. This expensive gas buildout would exacerbate the affordability challenges Georgia Power's customers already face. The PSC has approved six rate hikes from the utility in the past few years, increasing typical residential utility bills by 33%, or more than $500 a year on average.

New leadership's cost-optimized alternative

Commissioner-elect Peter Hubbard, who worked for 16 years in utility planning and renewable energy project development, has conducted his own analysis. It found a cost-optimized portfolio prioritizing solar, batteries, and energy efficiency could meet expected demand and save billions of dollars compared to the utility's gas-heavy approach. During an October 28 press event, Hubbard said he intended to use his analysis "to push back on these power plants that Georgia Power is putting in front of us."

Data center costs and transparency fights

Critics argue Georgia Power's contracts with data centers like OpenAI shift costs to customers without transparency. Commissioner-elect Kianna Edwards, who owns a communications consulting firm, highlighted the disparity. Georgia Power is making billions while Georgia families are struggling, Edwards said during the October 28 event hosted by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.

Last year, the all-Republican commission approved a rule allowing Georgia Power to force data centers and other large customers to cover the costs of new power plants and grid infrastructure built to serve them. Utility critics say the company has failed to prove these contracts truly protect customers. They also contend the Republican majority rebuffed repeated demands for more transparency into how the requirements might be enforced.

The few details Georgia Power has since disclosed have not allayed concerns. Maggie Shober, research director at the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, noted the lack of specifics on minimum bills, termination service, or exit fees. The PSC's new Democratic majority has options. It can launch proceedings demanding the utility account for the climate change impacts and costs of the December procurement plan. The first thing is that they have to pay their own way, Commissioner-elect Edwards said.

What the Democratic majority will do next

The new commission can interrogate Georgia Power's April proposal for up to 6 gigawatts of additional capacity. Hubbard sees that as a key opportunity to steer the utility toward cleaner energy. Along with its Democratic majority, the commission will have a supportive partner in Democratic Governor-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms. The former Atlanta mayor has promised to issue a temporary moratorium on new data center approvals pending a review of their energy cost and environmental impacts. The new majority pledges to demand data center firms pay their own way.