ATLANTA - The Public Service Commission campaign is about as far from the spotlight as any statewide race in Georgia politics, but the winner in the crowded contest for an open seat will have a surprising amount of influence on residents' everyday lives.
Four Republicans state Sen. John Douglas, state Rep. Jeff May, former state Sen. Joey Brush and Tim Echols are vying for their party's nomination in the July 20 primary. The seat is held by the retiring Bobby Baker, widely known as the most vocal consumer advocate on the five-member panel.
The winner will face Democrat Keith Moffett in the November election.
Baker's successor is important because the PSC regulates the rates charged and the services provided by many telecommunications, natural gas and electric utilities in Georgia. The complicated regulatory issues the board decides upon are worth billions of dollars to utilities and directly affect residents' pocketbooks.
And Baker emerged as one of the most strident advocates for consumers during his 18 years on the panel, often at odds with the other four commissioners in the final years of his tenure.
For instance, he was the sole ``nay'' vote in March on a proposal that would let Georgia Power raise prices by an average of $9.91 more a month from June through September to pay for rising fuel costs.
Many of the candidates say their top priority is to walk the delicate line between advocating for fair pricing while not alienating the powerful utility companies. Some are also trying to wrest attention to the down-ticket race by vowing to fight President Barack Obama's climate change legislation.
Echols, of Athens, is aggressively emphasizing his conservative credentials. He founded a nonprofit called TeenPact and promises to use the post to fight cap-and-trade legislation and ``advance conservative ideals of less government, individual liberty and the protection of human life.''
May also vows he would oppose federal policies ``pushed by Washington liberals that raise rates for Georgia consumers.'' The Monroe businessman, a member of the House GOP leadership team, has also pledged to invest more money in energy infrastructure and expand the state's nuclear power facilities.
Douglas, a former Army officer from Social Circle, said he will fight to protect consumer rights and work to maintain reasonable utility rates. He also said he'll lobby to improve consumer-oriented projects, such as the no-call list that limits telemarketers from calling Georgia homes.
Brush, a Grovetown developer and a trained engineer, has also qualified for the race. Brush was first elected to the Senate in 1996 after serving two terms in the state House. He has campaigned as a proponent of free-market ideas and less government.
Saturday
June 21st, 2025
11:59PM
