Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Good morning! Today we have a PSC candidate guide to help voters examine their choices in the upcoming primary. We also have power bill news coming out of the PSC, as well as a calculator tool for those thinking about making the switch to an electric vehicle. Finally, we have updates on the effects in Coastal Georgia of the current drought.
Questions, tips or concerns? Send me a note at mary.landers@thecurrentga.org
ELECTIONS: NEWS
Pick your PSC candidates
The Public Service Commission regulates utilities, including Georgia Power, and its profile has risen as electric bills have skyrocketed. In next Tuesday’s primary, Republicans are choosing among five candidates for two seats on the Public Service Commission. Democrats are choosing among three candidates in just one race. (That’s because in the other, incumbent Peter Hubbard is unopposed.) The candidates’ technical backgrounds are a key point of contention in the election, Emily Jones of WABE/Grist reports.
BUSINESS: NEWS
Power bill relief proposed
Georgia Power and the Georgia Public Service Commission have reached a deal that could save average residential customers about $4 a month on their power bills, as Emily Jones of WABE/Grist reports. The commission staff initially recommended the PSC deny nearly $19 million in requested fuel costs. In the end, the public interest advocacy staff and Georgia Power signed a deal that removes $13 million in fuel costs and more than $100 million from the storm cost request. The five-member PSC will vote on the agreement later this month.
EV savings calculator
If the price of gas has you considering an electric vehicle, the nonprofit Coltura has a calculator that shows how much the switch can save you on fuel costs. Just plug in your location and your typical mileage for an estimate. Fueling with electricity is cheaper than gasoline in every state. One caveat for Georgia: the calculator does not consider the $239 annual registration fee the state charges EV drivers, the second-highest such tax nationwide.
That annual registration reduces savings but doesn’t eliminate them, said Coltura’s Rob Sargent. “At 12 cents per mile savings, a driver breaks even on the Georgia fee in a little over 2,000 miles,” he noted.
ENVIRONMENT: NEWS
Rivers low in drought
Despite some recent rains, Georgia is still in severe drought, as Jillian Magtoto of GPB News reports. That drought is evident in coastal rivers, including the Ogeechee, as well as in the Floridan aquifer, which is fed by surface water. State regulators found that most of the 16 groundwater wells they monitored were nearing their lowest recorded depths. The next drought report should show if a few rainy days have brought any improvement.
In other drought-related news, the Highway 82 wildfire in Brantley County was 90% contained as of Saturday. As of Tuesday, the State Forester’s burn ban has been lifted, but the Environmental Protection Division’s summer burn ban remains in place. Local burn bans also remain in place in many counties.
Also noted
Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday vetoed SB 478, a bipartisan effort to support the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program (GOSA). The bill was set to increase dedicated funding for land conservation, parks, and wildlife habitat by raising the allocation of existing sales tax on outdoor gear from 40% to 60%, adding roughly $15 million annually. In his veto statement, Kemp said lawmakers failed to account for this loss of revenue in the appropriations process, instead prioritizing general taxpayer relief.
Kingsland City Council voted unanimously Monday to rescind the data center ordinance it adopted in March without public notice. The city council imposed a 365-day moratorium on all data center applications moving forward. This comes after Florida businessman Kirk Tovey retracted his proposal to rezone nearly 700 acres along Interstate 95 for data centers.
The McIntosh County Commission voted on Tuesday to extend the zoning moratorium for the Hogg Hummock area of Sapelo Island. A similar vote was taken and the same moratorium approved unanimously in April. This time, however, a public hearing preceded the vote. The move extends the moratorium to Aug. 19, 2026, while a new ordinance is drafted and vetted.
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Ten candidates compete for two seats on Georgia’s powerful utility commission
Ten candidates are running for two seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission, with the election focusing on energy bills, data centers, and the state’s climate future.
PSC staff, Georgia Power propose deal to lower electric bills
Georgia Power and the Georgia Public Service Commission have reached a deal that could save customers more money on their power bills, with the commission staff recommending the commission deny nearly $19 million in fuel costs and the public interest advocacy staff and Georgia Power signing a deal that removes $13 million in […]
‘We’re pretty low’
The Ogeechee River in Georgia is experiencing dangerously low water levels due to the statewide Level 1 Drought Response, which could lead to lower oxygen levels and depletion of the Floridan aquifer.
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