Georgia Public Service Commission races in 2022 election

As elected officers go, Georgia Public Service Commissioners train vital affect on the well being and wealth of Georgians.

The five-member panel regulates Georgia’s public utility operators – those who present electrical energy, pure fuel and telecommunications providers. The PSC is a low-profile board with high-profile energy, usually coming into the general public consciousness solely when addressing points similar to delays and price overruns related to the Plant Vogtle nuclear reactor challenge.

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Commissioners serve staggered six-year phrases and two members are up for election this yr: Tim Echols and Fitz Johnson.

The incumbents, each Republicans, are operating unopposed within the 2022 main, however Democratic candidates will vie for the correct to problem Echols and Johnson in November. Candidates signify geographic districts however are elected by way of statewide vote.

Opinion:Vogtle teaches Georgians a lesson in nuclear. We’ll be paying for it ceaselessly.

That main will probably be held on Might 24, with early voting starting Might 2.

Right here’s a take a look at the candidates for the PSC posts.

PSC District 2

Democrat Patty Durand

Durand operates the Good Vitality Client Collaborative, an Atlanta-based nonprofit that educates Georgians about vitality. A private expertise with Georgia Energy’s “Good Utilization” plan and an related service price sparked her curiosity in vitality schooling. She opposes how the PSC has dealt with issues related to the Plant Vogtle nuclear reactor challenge.

Democrat Russell Edwards

Edwards has served as an Athens-Clarke County commissioner since 2019. He’s an legal professional by career and a neighborhood activist, having based a bunch referred to as Individuals for a Higher Athens.

Republican Tim Echols (incumbent)

Echols joined the PSC in 2011 after constructing the corporate he co-founded, TeenPact, right into a nationwide coaching program expertise for conservative highschool college students. Echols is a proponent of fresh vitality and a vocal supporter of the Plant Vogtle nuclear growth and including photo voltaic to Georgia’s electricity-generation portfolio.

Libertarian Colin McKinney

A doctor specializing in emergency drugs, McKinney has centered his marketing campaign across the “non-aggression precept” and defending Georgia’s surroundings. He lives in Athens.

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PSC District 3

Democrat Shelia Edwards

This public relations skilled has broad civic engagement expertise and champions decreased utility charges and a shift to renewable vitality sources. Edwards based a grassroots group in her neighborhood, Legacy Cares, to efficiently oppose a deliberate waste firm switch station.

Democrat Chandra Farley

A marketing consultant specializing in vitality, local weather, and utility initiatives, Farley has intensive expertise with vitality coverage. She’s testified earlier than the U.S. Congress and offered to the Federal Vitality Regulatory Fee. She is the chair of the Georgia NAACP Environmental and Local weather Justice Committee.

Democrat Missy Moore

Moore owns and operates a industrial insurance coverage company with a give attention to threat mitigation steerage and coverage evaluate, making her a self-professed “watchdog for customers.” She is the primary Hispanic lady to run for statewide workplace in Georgia.

Republican Fitz Johnson (incumbent)

Johnson was appointed to the PSC by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp in 2021. He’s a U.S. Military veteran and owned the Atlanta Beat, a franchise within the now defunct Girls’s Skilled Soccer league. Previous to this PSC appointment, Johnson ran unsuccessfully for the Cobb County Fee and for state college superintendent. He’s the primary Black member of the PSC since 2006.