Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Good morning! If you haven’t been paying attention to the upcoming election for Georgia’s energy regulators, it’s time to snap to it. But not to worry, we’ve got you covered with candidate news and a Coastal Georgia forum to attend. We also have an update on plans for Savannah’s Forsyth Park and a dive into the financial woes delaying Twin Pines Minerals from mining near the Okefenokee.
Questions, tips or concerns? Send me a note at mary.landers@thecurrentga.org
NEWS: ELECTIONS
PSC candidate ousted, primary continues
The PSC is an elected five-member board that regulates monopoly utilities in Georgia, including Georgia Power. That means the PSC, which is currently all Republican, determines how much most Georgians pay for their electricity.
The ongoing election for two of those seats took a twist Tuesday as District 3 Democratic candidate Daniel Blackman lost an appeal to remain on the ballot following a residency challenge, as Capitol Beat’s Ty Tagami reports. Blackman’s departure leaves three other candidates in his race. Early voting continues through Friday and the primary election is Tuesday. The Republican incumbent for this seat, Fitz Johnson, is unopposed. For the other PSC seat on the ballot this year, Republican incumbent Tim Echols faces Lee Muns in District 2. Democrat Alicia Johnson is running unopposed in the same district.
The district designations are important for the candidates, who are required to live in their geographic district. But voters don’t need to worry about them; all the seats are voted on statewide for staggered six-year terms.
To help voters learn more about the PSC and the candidates, Coastal Georgia for Democracy is sponsoring a candidate forum from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, June 12, at the Coastal Georgia Center, 305 Fahm Street, Savannah. Find profiles of all the candidates here, from Emily Jones of WABE/Grist. And remember, Georgia primaries are open, meaning that regardless of registered party affiliation, each voter can choose to vote in either the Democratic or Republican races.
Three of the sitting PSC commissioners are facing pressure to recuse themselves from voting on a proposed agreement to freeze Georgia Power’s rates, as Georgia Recorder’s Stanley Dunlap reports. While the rate freeze sounds like a boon to ratepayers, advocates say another consequence would be $700 million in excess profits annually for Georgia Power.
NEWS: ENVIRONMENT
Forsyth Park plans reconsidered
The City of Savannah is set to approve a revised agreement with the Friends of Forsyth Conservancy, Inc. regarding Forsyth Park, a beloved icon for generations of residents and visitors, as The Current’s Margaret Coker reports. The updated agreement, which removes controversial provisions, comes nearly a year after The Current raised questions about the previous version.
NEWS: ENVIRONMENT
Mining company swamped by lawsuits
Twin Pines Minerals, the Alabama-based company seeking to mine near the Okefenokee Swamp, has not submitted the required financial assurance of $2.1 million to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to move forward with a permit, Georgia regulators revealed last week. In addition to its previously reported financial woes, the company is facing breach-of-contract lawsuits from a Danish shipping company and a California storage company, each seeking millions in damages, The Current’s Mary Landers reports.
Also noted
- It’ll always be the 912 to longtime Coastal Georgians, but the region’s growth and development has prompted the addition of a new area code expected to debut within six months, as Dave Williams of Capitol Beat reports.
- The Coastal Resources Division recently gave McIntosh County the go-ahead to make repairs on a public boat ramp on White Chimney Creek.
- UGA Marine Extension and Sea Grant offer regularly scheduled nature programs such as guided estuary tours and aquarium talks for children and adults. Fees apply. See the full list of upcoming events here.
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Democrat Blackman loses appeal in residency dispute for Georgia PSC candidacy
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville upheld the decision of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to remove Daniel Blackman from the ballot for the Georgia Public Service Commission District 3 seat, citing that Blackman had failed to prove he had established residency in the district in time to satisfy the legal […]
Complaint targets Georgia PSC members over rate freeze endorsement
Three elected state regulators are being asked to recuse themselves from voting on a proposed agreement to freeze Georgia Power’s rates for three years due to allegations that they violated state rules by publicly endorsing the proposal before an upcoming hearing.
Savannah City Council set to approve Forsyth Park deal after public input
The revised agreement between the City of Savannah and the Friends of Forsyth Conservancy, Inc. removes controversial provisions and establishes a collaborative process between the city and the conservancy to enhance Forsyth Park, with a balance of power between the city and the conservancy.
Twin Pines’ financial woes stall mining permits near Okefenokee Swamp
Twin Pines Minerals has not submitted the required $2.1 million bond to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, while two lawsuits filed by Danish and California companies allege breach of contract and fraud, and the company remains in arrears for a $15,000 property tax bill in Charlton County.
Meet the PSC candidates
Georgia Public Service Commission candidates are vying for two seats, with incumbent Republicans Tim Echols and Fitz Johnson facing criticism for rate hikes and lack of transparency, while Democratic challengers Alicia Johnson, Daniel Blackman, Robert Jones, Keisha Sean Waites, and Lee Muns are pushing for affordable energy, clean energy, and greater public involvement […]
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