Georgia PSC candidates talk data centers ahead of November election
Candidates for the Georgia Public Service Commission are debating how the state should regulate electricity contracts and infrastructure for rapidly expanding data centers. The commission recently approved Georgia Power’s large-load contract to serve a planned OpenAI data center in Effingham County, prompting concerns about ratepayer costs, grid capacity, water use, emissions and contract transparency.
Georgia Public Service Commission candidates Joshua Tolbert, Shelia Edwards, incumbent Peter Hubbard and former commissioner Fitz Johnson outlined differing views on the state’s growing data center industry ahead of the November election. The PSC does not approve data center locations, but it regulates utilities and determines how large facilities are supplied and charged for electricity. Commissioners recently approved Georgia Power’s large-load contract for a planned OpenAI hyperscale data center in Effingham County.
The candidates broadly agreed that data centers should cover the costs of the infrastructure and power they require, but raised concerns about long-term contracts, speculative demand forecasts, ratepayer protections and the transparency of agreements. Edwards also cited water use, noise and incentives, while Hubbard called for stronger safeguards, clean-energy requirements and protections if projects scale back or leave. The article notes that local residents and governments are increasingly seeking rules governing data center impacts, even as the PSC considers additional generation capacity to serve the industry.