Georgia Power continues to raise customer bills in fuel docket decision
ATLANTA —Today the Georgia Public Service Commission issued a decision in Georgia Power’s fuel docket case, which adopted over 99.5% of Georgia Power’s requests, as approved by the Commission’s Public Interest Advocacy Staff before receiving any input from the public.
“When bills jump next month, the most vulnerable Georgians are going to have to make unthinkable choices about how to spend their income,” said Jennifer Whitfield, Senior Attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center. “While Chair Pridemore took the initiative to at least alleviate some of that pain for seniors earning a fixed or lower income, the Commission's approach to this moment—giving the utility everything it wants while leaving the majority of its customers to struggle with higher monthly bills—is unacceptable. Georgia Power shouldn't be pocketing billions in record profits while also putting customers in the position of choosing between power and basic needs.”
“The Commission approved spiking customer bills without adopting our modest recommendation that it also require Georgia Power to be transparent about how many families it will be shutting off from electricity service as a result of their inability to pay their bills,” said Codi Norred, Executive Director of Georgia Interfaith Power and Light. “This is a justice issue. Georgia Power blew through its fuel budget last year when the price of fossil fuels skyrocketed, but at the same time, it pocketed billions in record profits. Now, customers are going to have to readjust their family budgets to find space for increasing bills with no relief in sight.”
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The Southern Environmental Law Center is one of the nation’s most powerful defenders of the environment, rooted in the South. With a long track record, SELC takes on the toughest environmental challenges in court, in government, and in our communities to protect our region’s air, water, climate, wildlife, lands, and people. Nonprofit and nonpartisan, the organization has a staff of 200, including more than 100 attorneys, and is headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., with offices in Asheville, Atlanta, Birmingham, Chapel Hill, Charleston, Nashville, Richmond, and Washington, D.C. southernenvironment.org
Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that works to mobilize people of faith toward environmental action. As part of the national Interfaith Power and Light movement, GIPL sees the response to global climate change, resource depletion, environmental injustice, and pollution as an extension of faith. Learn more at gipl.org.
