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Solar industry spends to flip control of Georgia utility commission

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Solar industry spends to flip control of Georgia utility commission

Voters will have a chance to pick their utility regulators in nine states this November. But Georgia is one of the only states that could flip party control of its public utility commission, an often overlooked institution that determines how much people’s energy bills will rise.

Last year, as energy affordability bubbled to the surface of the American political scene, Democrats won two of the five seats on the previously all-Republican Georgia Public Service Commission, which oversees utilities’ spending and how much those companies can charge their captive customers. One of those new commissioners — Peter Hubbard — has to run again this year due to a quirk of scheduling. Another Democrat, Shelia Edwards, is running for an open seat on the commission.

The race has attracted attention from advocates and wonks who follow utility regulation and consumer protection. It also touches on the combustible topic of data center construction, as utility Georgia Power seeks to build massive new fossil-gas plants to serve AI customers in the state. Now, the solar industry is hoping to sway the outcome for the candidates more supportive of clean energy deployment — in this case, the Democrats.

A super PAC tied to the Solar Energy Industries Association is spending $250,000 to run ads on behalf of Hubbard and Edwards, on digital platforms and connected TV, like streaming services.

That’s a slight sum compared to, say, the $ 77 . S. Senate race. But it’s also the solar trade group’s largest investment in an election in the aftermath of a bruising policy loss in last year’s congressional budget law , which ended up slashing tax credits for renewable energy despite the industry’s lobbying.


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