Georgia’s Public Service Commission convened in Savannah this week for a public hearing, marking a significant departure from its historical practice of conducting meetings exclusively in Atlanta. Commissioner Alicia Johnson, one of two recently elected Democrats on the five-member board, had advocated for the commission to travel outside the state capital to engage with constituents in different regions. The Savannah hearing represented the first time in over a century that the commission held a meeting outside Atlanta.
The session drew considerable public attention, with many residents expressing concerns about a planned data center in Effingham County that Georgia Power has contracted to serve. Public commenters specifically raised questions about the company’s largest single-customer contract since it began disclosing such agreements in 2024, which is with OpenAI. Multiple speakers called for increased transparency regarding the terms and implications of the data center agreement and urged commissioners to prioritize public interest over utility company interests.
The commission clarified that its regulatory authority over data centers is limited to overseeing electricity generation and sales if a facility chooses Georgia Power as its utility provider. Commissioners encouraged residents to direct concerns about local development to elected officials at the municipal and county levels. The hearing also addressed broader frustration over electricity rates, with audience members expressing disagreement with current pricing structures.
PSC Chair Jason Shaw, a Republican, acknowledged that transparency concerns about the OpenAI data center had emerged at local levels and noted that Georgia Power should disclose more unredacted information about its data center contracts. The meeting highlighted growing political divisions on the commission, as the two Democratic members have been critical of recent rate increases and data center policies. Both Democratic commissioners were elected last year following a campaign focused on power bill concerns. The November elections will determine whether Democrats can gain majority control of the board for the first time in decades, with two seats currently up for contest.
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