Election Marks First Time An Incumbent Commissioner Has Lost Election in Nearly Two Decades

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Georgia voters elected two new Public Service Commissioners to the state’s five-person body as the rising cost of electricity becomes a top consumer issue nationwide. This marks the first time since 2006 that an incumbent Georgia PSC commissioner has lost their election.

Challengers Peter Hubbard and Dr. Alicia Johnson unseated two incumbents who had voted to approve six rate hikes over the last two years – spiking utility bills by 33 percent, or about $500 per year for the average Georgia household. 

“The election of two new Public Service Commissioners represents a seismic change in Georgia’s energy landscape and reflects a new politics of electricity in America,” said Charles Hua, Founder and Executive Director of PowerLines. “Consumers have sent a clear message: they are paying attention and will hold public officials accountable for decisions that impact their utility bills.”

The Georgia PSC elections come amid a mounting utility affordability crisis nationwide. PowerLines analysis shows that in the first three quarters of 2025, utilities requested a record $34 billion in rate increases – more than double the amount during the same period in 2024. A PowerLines poll conducted with Ipsos found that 3 in 4 Americans are concerned about rising utility bills, with 4 in 5 people feeling powerless over these costs. Skyrocketing utility bills have also played a role in other key races nationwide.

Two seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission will be on the ballot in 2026

PowerLines is a nonpartisan consumer education nonprofit organization that aims to modernize the utility regulatory system for American energy consumers to lower utility bills and grow the economy.