Democrats win Georgia utility board seats after data center backlash
Democrats won control of the Georgia Public Service Commission for the first time in 30 years after campaigning against rising utility bills and rapid data center growth. Newly elected commissioner Sheila Edwards supports a data center construction freeze backed by Gov.-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms, while lawmakers are expected to address data center policy in 2027.
Georgia voters elected Democrats Peter Hubbard and Sheila Edwards to the Public Service Commission, ending a three-decade Republican majority on the panel that regulates customer electric rates. Their campaigns focused on limiting Georgia Power rate increases and imposing tighter oversight on energy-intensive data center development, amid concerns that residential customers are bearing higher electricity costs.
Edwards has endorsed a proposed pause on data center construction promoted by Gov.-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms, who called for consumers and experts to help shape the policy. The commission’s new members will take office Jan. 1, 2027, and the Georgia legislative session is scheduled to begin considering data center policies on Jan. 11. Experts said regulatory changes could take years to affect household bills, while advocates including Tech Oversight Project founder Sacha Haworth argued that data centers are contributing to increased costs.