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Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Peter Hubbard defeats Keisha Waites in Democratic Georgia PSC primary
The Brief Peter Hubbard defeated Keisha Waites in the Democratic runoff for Georgia Public Service Commission District 3 and will face Republican incumbent Fitz Johnson in November. The race centers on rising Georgia Power bills, utility accountability, and expanding access to green energy alternatives like solar and battery storage. All five PSC seats are currently held by Republicans; voters statewide will decide two seats in the 2024 general election. ATLANTA - Peter Hubbard emerged victorious Tuesday in the Democratic runoff for Georgia Public Service Commission District 3, defeating former state lawmaker Keisha Waites to claim the party's nomination in a low-turnout election centered on rising energy costs and representation, according to the Associated Press. PREVIOUS: Runoff to decide Democratic nominee for Georgia's Public Service Commission What we know The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) regulates electric and natural gas utilities across the state, including Georgia Power and Atlanta Gas Light. Hubbard now advances to face Republican incumbent Fitz Johnson in the November general election. The runoff was triggered after no candidate received a majority in the June 17 primary. Waites led that three-way race, but Hubbard built a decisive lead in metro Atlanta counties Fulton and DeKalb, according to unofficial returns posted by the Georgia Secretary of State's office. The five-member PSC has been fully controlled by Republicans. Hubbard, a longtime advocate for green energy, pledged to bring change. He claims that he will fight for seniors, low-income households and for all those who deserve a lower power bill. The backstory The PSC's decisions have had direct impact on Georgia residents' monthly energy bills. Georgia Power customers have seen their bills increase six times in recent years, driven by rising fuel costs, infrastructure investments, and the costly expansion of Plant Vogtle's nuclear reactors. A typical customer now pays more than $175 a month, including taxes. Hubbard supports a transition to solar power backed by battery storage, rather than continued expansion of natural gas generation. Waites campaigned on the need for representation of Black voters and Democrats on the commission. Both candidates criticized current commissioners for failing to rein in Georgia Power's rising charges. What they're saying Waites conceded Tuesday night in a message to supporters and urged unity heading into the general election. She said she would support Hubbard in November in a "shared vision for a Public Service Commission that truly serves the public." By the numbers 100,000+: Turnout in the runoff, about 1% of Georgia's 8 million registered voters $175+: Average Georgia Power residential monthly bill, including taxes 2.3 million: Georgia Power customers served statewide 5: Number of Republican-held seats on the Public Service Commission What you can do Georgia voters will weigh in on two PSC seats in the upcoming election. In addition to District 3, voters will choose between incumbent Tim Echols (R) and Democrat Alicia Johnson (D) in District 2. Although candidates must reside in their district, all Georgia voters cast ballots for all five commission seats. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Polls are closed in Georgia's Public Service Commission runoff. Results here.
Peter Hubbard, an energy consultant and expert, has won the Democratic nomination for District 3 of the Georgia Public Service Commission. Hubbard defeated fellow Democrat Keisha Waites by about 16 percentage points in Tuesday's primary election runoff, according to results from the Georgia Secretary of State's office. Hubbard will face incumbent Republican Commissioner Fitz Johnson in the November election. Waites and Hubbard were the top two vote-getters in the primary last month, but didn't secure more than 50% of the vote, so a runoff was required by Georgia law. Waites received 57,800 votes and Hubbard received 41,832. Robert Jones received 25,898, eliminating him from the runoff. Georgia Conservation Voters endorsed Hubbard prior to the runoff, calling him an 'ideal candidate.' 'Peter's understanding of how companies rig the game by hiding the devil in the details, like how Georgia Power's modeling tends to be biased toward massive construction projects, where customers end up footing the bill, demonstrates the kind of strategic thinker that could benefit Georgians. GCV encourages everyone who cares about low bills and safe energy to use their vote to influence this critical election,' the endorsement said. Hubbard has a nonprofit, the Georgia Center for Energy Solutions, which consults on electric utility Integrated Resource Plans and has testified on Georgia Power's Integrated Resource Plans for six years, across four different plans from 2019 to 2025. In 2025, he created his own alternative IRP and brought it to the commission. 'I'm an expert in the subject matter,' he said prior to the runoff. 'You need an energy expert to be able to understand all the ways that that costs are being shifted onto residential rate payers and customers like me and you, and that's what I bring is that 15 years of experience in the energy industry putting together power plants of what to build and retire, understanding the different mechanisms and ways that in a rate case you can shift costs.'
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Peter Hubbard leads Keisha Waites in Democratic runoff for Georgia Public Service Commission
Peter Hubbard took the lead over Keisha Waites in early returns Tuesday in a runoff to settle the Democratic nominee for a post on the Georgia Public Service Commission. The commission oversees utilities including Georgia Power Co. The runoff was necessary after neither won a majority in a June 17 primary. Waites finished first and Hubbard finished second in a three-way race. Under Georgia law, when no candidate wins a majority, a runoff is required to choose a winner. The winner will face Republican incumbent Fitz Johnson in November in the District 3 race. Republicans in June chose incumbent Tim Echols, who has been on the Public Service Commission since 2011, to face Democrat Alicia Johnson of Augusta in the District 2 race. Voters statewide cast ballots for each of the five seats on the commission, but candidates must live in a particular district. Turnout was exceedingly low in early voting for the runoff, and fewer than 100,000 voters are likely to decide the nominee. RELATED STORIES: GA voters picking Public Service Commission nominees in primaries focused on bills Republican Echols wins Georgia Public Service Commission primary as Democrats head for a runoff Turnout 'miserably low' in the race for utility regulator Debate has centered on bills charged by Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Co. Georgia Power customers have seen bills rise six times in recent years because of higher natural gas costs and construction projects including two new nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle near Augusta, and other factors. A typical Georgia Power residential customer now pays more than $175 a month, including taxes. The commission sets rates and oversees generation plans for Georgia Power, which serves 2.3 million customers statewide. Now, all five commission seats are held by Republicans. Hubbard and Waites argue that breaking the GOP hold on the body will help lower bills. A green energy advocate, Hubbard touts his experience testifying before the commission and developing alternative plans that emphasize a shift toward solar power stored in batteries, rather than building more natural gas plants. Waites is a former state House member and former Atlanta City Council member. She emphasizes that she would give representation to Black people and Democrats on the commission. In a statement Wednesday, Waites said her previous experience in office would help her work with others to lower rates. The five-member commission, currently all Republicans, also oversees some natural gas rates for Atlanta Gas Light and Liberty Gas. Georgia usually doesn't have statewide elections in odd-numbered years, but these were pushed back after elections were delayed by a lawsuit that unsuccessfully challenged the statewide voting scheme as discriminatory to Black people. No Georgia Public Service Commission elections have been held since 2022 because of the lawsuit. Fitz Johnson was appointed to the commission in 2021 by Gov. Brian Kemp and has never faced voters. He was supposed to run for the last two years of his predecessor's term in 2022. Instead, the District 3 winner can run again next year for a six-year term, after lawmakers rewrote the terms. Echols was supposed to run for a six-year term in 2022. Instead, the District 2 winner will serve for five years, with the next election in 2030.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Election Day in Georgia: What to know about Public Service Commission runoff
Polls open at 7 a.m. in Georgia as voters decide which Democratic Public Service Commission candidate will get the chance to contend against incumbent Republican Fitz Johnson in November. Here's what to know about Tuesday's election. The Georgia Public Service Commission is a five-member panel of energy regulators which reviews proposals from electric companies such as Georgia Power. All five members are elected, and while they each represent certain districts, all Georgians get to vote on each race. The proposals that the PSC votes on outline how much the company plans to charge customers for electricity and where the company will get its energy — whether from solar, natural gas, coal, batteries, hydropower, or other sources. The runoff election is between between former state lawmaker Keisha Waites, and energy consultant and expert Peter Hubbard. Waites and Hubbard were the top two vote-getters in the primary last month, but didn't secure more than 50% of the vote, so a runoff is required by Georgia law. Waites received 57,800 votes, Hubbard received 41,832. Hubbard has a nonprofit, the Georgia Center for Energy Solutions, which consults on electric utility Integrated Resource Plans. He has testified on Georgia Power's Integrated Resource Plans for six years, across four different plans from 2019 to 2025. 'I'm an expert in the subject matter,' he said. 'You need an energy expert to be able to understand all the ways that that costs are being shifted onto residential rate payers and customers like me and you, and that's what I bring is that 15 years of experience in the energy industry putting together power plants of what to build and retire, understanding the different mechanisms and ways that in a rate case you can shift costs.' Waites is a seasoned public servant, which she argues is what makes her the better candidate. She also has established relationships with sitting commissioners. 'I have nearly two decades of public service,' she said. 'I spent 15 years serving with the federal government: 10 in the Department of Homeland Security, and another five years working for the SBA, writing disaster assistance loans for businesses and corporations.' Who's in the Georgia PSC primary runoff? 'Energy future is on the ballot' Georgia residents can find their polling place online by visiting Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Runoff to decide Democratic nominee for Georgia's Public Service Commission
The Brief Voting has begun in the Democratic runoff for one of the seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission. Keisha Waites and Peter Hubbard are the two candidates remaining in the race, which has seen extremely low turnout despite the importance of the commission in overseeing utility rates. The winner of the primary will face incumbent Republican Fitz Johnson, who ran unopposed in the primary and has been on the commission since 2021. ATLANTA - Georgia voters will head back to the polls on Tuesday to pick which Democratic candidate will be on November's ballot for one of the posts on the Georgia Public Service Commission. The commission oversees utilities, including Georgia Power. The backstory Keisha Waites and Peter Hubbard are competing in a runoff after neither won a majority on June 17. Waites earned 47% of the vote, while Hubbard received 32% in the three-way race. Under Georgia law, when no candidate wins a majority, a runoff is required to choose a winner. A green energy advocate, Hubbard touts his experience testifying before the commission and developing alternative plans that emphasize a shift toward solar power stored in batteries, rather than building more natural gas plants. Waites is a former state House member and former Atlanta City Council member. She emphasizes that she would give representation to Black people and Democrats on the commission. In a statement Wednesday, Waites said her previous experience in office would help her work with others to lower rates. Dig deeper Turnout was exceedingly low in early voting, and fewer than 100,000 voters are likely to decide the nominee. Debate has centered on bills charged by Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Co. Georgia Power customers have seen bills rise six times in recent years because of higher natural gas costs and construction projects, including two new nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle near Augusta, and other factors. A typical Georgia Power residential customer now pays more than $175 a month, including taxes. The commission sets rates and oversees generation plans for Georgia Power, which serves 2.3 million customers statewide. The five-member commission, currently all Republicans, also oversees some natural gas rates for Atlanta Gas Light and Liberty Gas. Georgia usually doesn't have statewide elections in odd-numbered years, but these were pushed back after elections were delayed by a lawsuit that unsuccessfully challenged the statewide voting scheme as discriminatory towards Black people. No Georgia Public Service Commission elections have been held since 2022 because of the lawsuit. What's next The winner of the primary will face incumbent Republican Fitz Johnson, who ran unopposed in the primary. Johnson was appointed to the commission in 2021 by Gov. Brian Kemp and has never faced voters. He was originally scheduled to run in 2022 for the last two years of his predecessor's term . Instead, the District 3 winner can run again next year for a six-year term, after lawmakers rewrote the terms. In the District 2 Republican primary, incumbent Tim Echols won the primary. Echols has been on the Public Service Commission since 2011. Echols will face Democrat Alicia Johnson, who ran unopposed in the primary, come November. The Source Information for this article came from previous FOX 5 stories and a report by the Associated Press' Jeff Amy.
