In this article, APN’s editor will examine the candidates, providing information and analysis to help you decide who to vote for on November 4.
Check out early voting times and locations on the ACC Elections Office website here.
Contents
Public Service Commission, District 2
Public Service Commission, District 3
What does the Public Service Commission do?
The Public Service Commission is a group of five elected officials in Georgia who regulate and oversee the companies that provide utilities like natural gas, electricity and telecommunications services. Since it would be extremely inefficient and costly for these companies to compete for customers, they often possess a monopoly or near monopoly in their areas of service. This makes government regulation essential because normal market mechanisms are not available to provide discipline.
It’s the job of Public Service Commissioners to stop utility companies from abusing their monopoly status by raising rates on consumers unnecessarily. Yet, this body — composed entirely of Republicans — has raised electricity rates six times since 2022, leading to much higher power bills for residents across the state.
While commissioners have frozen electricity rates ahead of the election, rate hikes will likely continue if the incumbents maintain their seats. The Democratic challengers, on the other hand, are running on keeping power bills steady or reducing them if possible.
Public Service Commission, District 2
Tim Echols, the incumbent Republican who has served the Athens area as Public Service Commissioner since 2010, is being challenged by Alicia Johnson, a Democrat who works at Health Management Associates, a healthcare consulting firm.
Echols has a large edge in experience over his opponent, having served as Public Service Commissioner for fifteen years. Although he is socially conservative and has been a Republican for decades, he’s a bit out of step with his party in 2025. For example, Echols has never denied the reality of climate change and he’s a supporter of both solar power and electric vehicles. He’s also a passionate champion of nuclear power, which he considers to be a clean and semi-renewable energy source, given that he supports the reprocessing and reuse of spent nuclear fuel.
However, nuclear power is extremely costly. The expense of funding two new nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle has led Echols to support six power bill hikes since 2022. Due in part to Echols’ efforts, Vogtle is now the largest nuclear plant in the US.
Some of Echol’s top campaign donors include the owners of utility and railroad companies, leading critics to charge that he’s a little too cozy with the companies he is supposed to be regulating.
Johnson does not have any direct experience in the energy or telecommunications industry. She is running on a platform of lowering utility bills, which she feels are “out of control.” She has criticized the large profits Georgia Power has made at the expense of consumers in recent years. She also says she will push for “a bold investment in clean, affordable energy solutions like solar and wind.”
Vote for Tim Echols if you want the candidate with the most experience to continue to serve in this position. Voting for Echols is also a good idea if you are a supporter of nuclear power and don’t mind paying higher power bills.
Vote for Alicia Johnson if you want the Public Service Commission to fight for consumers, not for power companies. Vote for Johnson if you’d like lower power bills and don’t mind a candidate who has less experience.
Public Service Commission, District 3
Fitz Johnson, an army veteran and businessman, has served on the Public Service Commission since 2021. He’ll face off against Peter Hubbard, an energy policy analyst and the founder of the nonprofit Georgia Center for Energy Solutions.
From 1998 to 2008, Johnson was the owner and operator of Eagle Group International, a US military contractor that was later acquired by Lockheed Martin. He had little experience in regulation or in energy policy before being appointed to the Public Service Commission in 2021. Since the 2022 Public Service Commission elections were delayed, Johnson will face the electorate for the first time this year.
Similar to Echols, Johnson voted to approve all six power bill hikes since 2022. He also accepts political contributions from the industry he is supposed to be regulating, including pipeline construction and telecommunications companies. His website contains very little policy information. It does say that he wants to “unleash American energy dominance” and “hold the line against radical policies,” but he doesn’t explain what either of those two phrases mean. He also claims that he will “protect Georgia ratepayers,” but the truth is that he voted for all six rate increases.
Hubbard, on the other hand, has worked in the energy industry for 15 years preparing integrated resource plans for utility companies, giving him significantly more experience than his opponent. Hubbard has a wealth of information on his nonprofit’s website about Georgia Power’s long-term plan to generate electricity, which he says is “fundamentally flawed.” He argues that the plan “underestimates fossil gas costs, puts roadblocks in front of renewable energy and will further raise power bills on the backs of residential electricity customers in Georgia.”
Hubbard is a strong supporter of solar power and he wants to lower the power bills that Georgians pay. He says he will fight to “bring accountability” to the Public Service Commission.
Vote for Fitz Johnson if you want to “unleash American energy dominance” and “hold the line against radical policies,” whatever that means, as long as you don’t care that he has voted to raise your power bills six times since 2022.
Vote for Peter Hubbard if you want a true policy expert and consumer advocate to be in charge of utility regulation in Georgia, or if all you care about is lowering your power bills.
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