Alabama’s Self-Proclaimed ‘AI Watchman’ Unseats Incumbent Public Service Commissioner
Jim Zeigler won the Republican primary for Alabama Public Service Commissioner, campaigning against data centers due to economic and environmental burdens. He pledges to act as an "AI watchman" and make a public list of all data centers in Alabama. Zeigler will face Democrat Sheila McNeil in the November general election, despite recent legislation limiting the PSC's regulatory power.
Jim Zeigler, a 78-year-old Republican, secured victory in the primary for Alabama Public Service Commissioner, attributing his success to his stance against data centers and solar farms. Zeigler plans to serve as an "AI watchman" for Alabama, promising to release a detailed plan for oversight and a public list of all data centers operating, proposed, or under construction in the state, a list he notes is currently unavailable from the PSC or Alabama Power.
His campaign strategy mirrors recent electoral shifts in Georgia, where public service commission races saw Republican-to-Democratic flips, partly fueled by voter frustration over energy bills and data center growth. Zeigler anticipates a tough general election in November against Democrat Sheila McNeil, preparing for potential out-of-state campaign funding.
Despite Zeigler's pledges, his ability to regulate the industry may be limited by a new law passed by the Alabama Legislature earlier this year. The legislation expanded the commission to seven seats and consolidated regulatory power within a newly created secretary of energy, a move experts suggest benefits Alabama Power, the state's largest utility, by making rate cases more difficult to initiate. Zeigler acknowledged the new law, stating he would "have to live with it" and "move on."