2018 News Releases

11/20/2018
Long Time Commissioner Doug Everett Announces Retirement

ATLANTA, November 20, 2018 – Commissioner Doug Everett of Albany, Georgia announced during today’s Commission Administrative Session that he will retire from the Georgia Public Service Commission effective December 31, 2018. Commissioner Everett has served on the Commission since January 1, 2003 and is currently in the fourth year of his six-year term. 

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11/19/2018
Commissioner Pridemore Wins Full Term; Named to Governor-Elect Kemp’s Transition Team

ATLANTA, November 19, 2018 – Commissioner Tricia Pridemore has officially won election to a full six-year term on the Georgia Public Service Commission following the Secretary of State’s certification of the November 6, 2018 election results. 

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10/15/2018
Commission Urges Consumers to Prepare for the Winter Heating Season

ATLANTA, October 15, 2018 – The Georgia Public Service Commission advises consumers to start preparing now for the upcoming winter heating season. Consumers need to ensure their homes and heating systems are ready for the cold weather as well as making sure they are getting the best value for their natural gas dollar.

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9/6/2018
Commission Celebrates September 10-14, 2018 as Lifeline Awareness Week in Georgia

ATLANTA, September 6, 2018 –The Georgia Public Service Commission (Commission) wants to remind all Georgians that September 10-14, 2018 is National Lifeline Awareness Week in Georgia. Access to local emergency services and community resources is vital to our low-income and elderly residents. The Commission wants residents to “stay connected” and is reaching out to those who need telecommunications service but are unable to afford it. 

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8/21/2018
Commission Verifies Expenses for Georgia Power’s 18th Nuclear Plant Vogtle Construction Monitoring Report

ATLANTA, August 21, 2018 – The Georgia Public Service Commission today unanimously verified and approved $448 million in expenditures on the Georgia Power Plant Vogtle Construction Project for the reporting period of July 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017. This decision is not a ruling on whether the expenditures are prudent but only acknowledges that the Company has spent the funds on the project. This decision closes out the 18th Semi-annual Vogtle Construction Monitoring (VCM) Report in Docket 29849.

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8/10/2018
AUGUST 11 (8/11) NATIONAL DIG SAFELY DAY SERVES AS CONVENIENT REMINDER FOR GEORGIA RESIDENTS TO ALWAYS CALL 811 BEFORE DIGGING

Atlanta- Aug. 10, 2018 – With August 11 almost here, the Georgia Public Service Commission hopes this date on the calendar, 8/11, will serve as a natural reminder for residents to call 811 prior to any digging project to have underground utility lines marked. Every hour more than six damages to buried utilities occur because someone decided to dig without first calling 811.

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8/8/2018
Commission Approves Increase in Household Income Level for Senior Citizen Discounts for Natural Gas Marketer and Liberty Utilities Customers

ATLANTA, August 8, 2018 – Tuesday’s Georgia Public Service Commission decision means that more low-income senior citizens will be able to take advantage of the discount offered on their natural gas bills. The Commission unanimously approved an increase in the household income used to qualify for the low-income senior citizen discount on their natural gas marketer (Atlanta Gas Light Company territory) and Liberty Utilities natural gas bills.

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7/10/2018
COMMISSIONER ECHOLS HOPES THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP TALKS ABOUT SAVANNAH RIVER SITE PLUTONIUM

Commissioner Tim Echols, Vice-chair of the Georgia Public Service Commission, hopes that one day Georgia’s Nuclear Power Plant Vogtle’s Generation Three reactors will run on surplus plutonium from old nuclear warheads.  

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7/9/2018
Clean Energy Roadshow to Visit Atlanta on July 24, 2018

July 9, 2018 – ATLANTA – The Clean Energy Roadshow will visit Columbus, Georgia on July 24, 2018 as part of the 8th annual Georgia Clean Energy Roadshow series hosted by Georgia Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols. This year’s event will be adding the Technology Association of Georgia’s (TAG) State of the Industry Technology Update to their multi-city event series on transportation, alternative fuels and renewable energy. Dentons US LLP will host the Atlanta Roadshow from 9:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 303 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30308.

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7/6/2018
Clean Energy Roadshow to Visit Gwinnett on July 17, 2018

July 6, 2018 – ATLANTA – The Clean Energy Roadshow will visit Duluth, Georgia on July 17, 2018 as part of the 8th annual Georgia Clean Energy Roadshow series hosted by Georgia Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols. This year’s event will be adding the Technology Association of Georgia’s (TAG) State of the Industry Technology Update to their multi-city event series on transportation, alternative fuels and renewable energy.

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5/23/2018
Clean Energy Roadshow to Visit Columbus on June 6, 2018

May 23, 2018 – COLUMBUS – The Clean Energy Roadshow will visit Columbus, Georgia on June 6, 2018 as part of the 8th annual Georgia Clean Energy Roadshow series hosted by Georgia Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols. 

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5/23/2018
Clean Energy Roadshow to Visit Savannah on June 8, 2018

May 23, 2018 – SAVANNAH – The Clean Energy Roadshow will visit Savannah, Georgia on June 8, 2018 as part of the 8th annual Georgia Clean Energy Roadshow series hosted by Georgia Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols.

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5/24/2018
NARUC Names Commissioner Pridemore to Natural Gas Partnership Program with the Department of Energy

May 24, 2018 – ATLANTA - The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) appointed Commissioner Tricia Pridemore on May 15, 2018 to its natural gas partnership program with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

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5/18/2018
From the Office of Commissioner Tim Echols: Technology Authority of Georgia Joins Clean Energy Roadshow for 2018 Tour Dates

May 17, 2018 – ATLANTA - Producers of the 8th annual Georgia Clean Energy Roadshow series hosted by Georgia Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols announced today that they will be adding the Technology Association of Georgia’s (TAG) State of the Industry Technology Update to their multi-city event series on transportation, alternative fuels and renewable energy. The Roadshow will visit Columbus on June 6, Savannah on June 8, Gwinnett County on July 17 and Atlanta on July 24. 

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5/15/2018
Commission Approves Tax Cuts Credits and Rate Freeze for Atlanta Gas Light Company Natural Gas Customers

ATLANTA, May 15, 2018 – Customers in the Atlanta Gas Light Company delivery area will receive 100 percent of the net benefits from the 2017 federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), including $16 million in direct credits, following the Georgia Public Service Commission’s unanimous approval of a stipulation between the Commission staff and the Atlanta Gas Light Company. AGLC will provide the credits as a result of the TCJA enacted in 2017 which lowers the overall corporate tax rate from 35 to 21 percent. The Commission action comes under Docket 40828.

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5/1/2018
Commission Approves SCANA as Regulated Provider of Natural Gas for Two Year Term

ATLANTA, May 1, 2018 – The Georgia Public Service Commission today unanimously approved natural gas marketer SCANA Energy as the state’s regulated provider for another two year term. The Georgia Legislature established the regulated provider program in 2002. The Commission administers the program which enables low income natural gas customers to obtain service at lower rates. The regulated provider also provides natural gas service to credit challenged customers who are unable to obtain service from other natural gas marketers. The regulated provider offers service only in those areas served by the Atlanta Gas Light Company distribution area.

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4/3/2018
Commission Approves Additional Refunds for Georgia Power Customers

ATLANTA, April 3, 2018 – The Georgia Public Service Commission today unanimously approved $330 million in refunds to Georgia Power Company customers over the next three years as a result of the lower corporate tax rate under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) which President Trump signed into law on December 22, 2017. The refunds will total approximately $70 over the three year period for a residential customer using 1000 kilowatt hours per month.

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4/2/2018
Commission Reminds Georgians to Stay Safe by Calling 811 before Digging; April Is National Safe Digging Month

ATLANTA, April 2, 2018 – The Georgia Public Service Commission reminds all Georgians that April is National Safe Digging Month. The law requires anyone who plans to excavate where underground utilities are located to call 8-1-1 before they dig. The process is simple and can prevent major damage that can endanger and inconvenience our communities and cause economic disruption. 

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3/20/2018
Georgia Public Service Commission Reduces Nuclear Construction Cost Recovery Fee

ATLANTA, March 20, 2018 – Beginning April 1, 2018, Georgia Power Company customers will save an estimated $139 million dollars this year following the unanimous Georgia Public Service Commission decision today to the reduce the Nuclear Construction Cost Recover (NCCR) fee. The NCCR is collected from Georgia Power customers to pay the financing cost on the construction of two nuclear power units at Plant Vogtle near Waynesboro, Georgia.

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2/21/2018
Tricia Pridemore Takes Her Seat on the Georgia Public Service Commission

ATLANTA, February 21, 2018 – Tricia Pridemore has taken her seat on the Georgia Public Service Commission today after Governor Nathan Deal appointed her to fill the vacancy on the Commission following the resignation of long time Commissioner Stan Wise. Pridemore is a resident of Marietta, Georgia. She will serve out the remainder of Wise’s term through December 31, 2018.

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2/22/2018
Commissioner Tim Echols Receives Trailblazer Award at Advanced Reactors V & Showcase at Texas A&M

February 22, 2018 – Atlanta, Georgia – Commissioner Tim Echols, Vice-Chair of the Georgia Public Service Commission, was honored February 21, 2018 with the Advanced Reactors Summit's Trailblazer Award at a reception at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum at the Texas A&M campus in College Station.

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2/21/2018
Commission Elects Lauren “Bubba” McDonald as Commission Chair

ATLANTA, February 21, 2018 – The Georgia Public Service Commission (Commission) has unanimously elected Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald as Commission chair for a two year term. McDonald succeeds Commissioner Stan Wise who resigned from the Commission effective February 20, 2018. McDonald will begin his term as chair today.

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2/20/2018
Stan Wise Steps Down from the Georgia Public Service Commission

ATLANTA, February 20, 2018 – Public Service Commissioner Stan Wise chaired his final Commission Administrative Session today prior to stepping down from the Commission after nearly 24 years of service. He has served as Chairman since January 1, 2017. 

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1/24/2018
McDonald Statement on Imposition of Tariffs on Solar Cell Imports “Disappointed with President’s Decision”

ATLANTA, January 24, 2018 – Georgia Public Service Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald says he is disappointed with President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 30 percent tariff on imported solar panels, the result of an International Trade Commission (ITC) decision in a case filed by Georgia-based Suniva. The tariff will take effect on February 6, 2018.

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1/16/2018
Commission Approves $43.6 million in Refunds for Georgia Power Customers; Orders Company to Show Impact of Tax Cuts on Rates

ATLANTA, January 16, 2018 – The Georgia Public Service Commission (Commission) today unanimously ordered Georgia Power Company to refund its customers $43.6 million. The refunds are the result of the Company earning above its Commission approved return on equity (ROE) for calendar year 2016 under terms of the Commission’s order in the 2013 Georgia Power rate case in Docket 36989. 

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