ATLANTA – A parade of expert and citizen witnesses asked the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) this week not to let Georgia Power recover 100% of higher fuel costs incurred during the last couple of years from customers.
While the witnesses blamed the increased costs on the Atlanta-based utility’s overreliance on natural gas, a witness for Georgia Power cited factors beyond the company’s control as driving up the costs of the fuel it uses to generate electricity.
Tuesday’s daylong hearing was on a request by Georgia Power to increase the average residential customer’s monthly bill by $15.90 to allow the utility to recover $2.2 billion in higher fuel costs. That’s down from the $23 monthly hike the company originally sought, thanks to an agreement Georgia Power reached last month with PSC staff.
Citizen witnesses complained that Georgia Power is too dependent on natural gas, which has a track record of huge price swings, and isn’t being aggressive enough in pursuing alternatives include wind and solar energy.
“The sun is free,” said Wanda Mosley, an Atlanta-area voting rights activist. “We get a whole lot of sun.”
A significant portion of Tuesday’s discussion centered on how much authority the commission has over fuel costs. Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald said state law requires the PSC to grant the increase.
“Our staff has looked at this fuel case. Everything is in order,” he said. “We have the responsibility of making the proper adjustments that are necessary under the law.”
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