Georgia
New Georgia law aims to make canceling subscription services easier
As we continue to rely more on the internet, the need for accountability will rise. One of Georgia’s new laws helps reinforce that.
Gov. Brian Kemp signed the House Bill 528 last May, establishing the “Georgia Online Automatic Renewal Transparency Act” and the “Georgia Online Third-Party Delivery Service Transparency Act,” both of which went into effect New Year’s Day.
The first part of this bill targets online subscription services, like Netflix or HelloFresh. Often, first-time users for a subscription will be given a free trial window, but then will forget about the window and their account will be charged. But under the new law, a new Georgia subscriber must be given the subscription’s terms ahead of time and will not be charged after the free trial is over unless they agree to a renewal.
Local lottery winner: As $842M jackpot claimed in Michigan, Powerball tickets worth $150K, $50K sold in Georgia
Georgia football program tracker: Player movement, staff changes and other news
The automatic renewal act also requires subscription-based companies to provide its customers notices for each charge and provide an online method of cancellation which may be either of these two options:
- A clear and conspicuous link to a website or other online cancellation service.
- A cancellation email formatted and provided by the business that a customer can send to the business without additional information.
These new measures will likely affect a lot of wallets as about 74% of subscribers say it’s easy to forget about their recurring monthly charges and 42% say they have forgotten about a subscription they aren’t even using anymore, according to a 2022 study by C+R market researchers in Chicago.
The second part of the bill targets online third-party delivery services like DoorDash and Uber Eats. Under the law, DoorDash will not be able to offer delivery from a Georgia restaurant or use its likeness without that restaurant’s consent.
Grubhub was accused in 2020 of adding 150,000 restaurants without their permission to the app, according to CBS News. Georgia’s new law provides penalties for when a delivery service non-consensually uses a restaurant, including a $1,000 fine for the first penalty, $2,000 for the second, and $10,000 for the third and any subsequent violations.
To access the full text of HB 528, go to legis.ga.gov.
The Georgia Public Service Commission this week approved a plan expected to reduce utility bills for Georgia Power customers by a few dollars a month.
The commission said the change will generate about $285 million in total annual savings for Georgia Power customers, or roughly $50 per year — about $4.04 per month — for the average residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours a month.
The Georgia PSC voted Thursday to lower overall rates as part of the approved plan.
Georgia Power Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Tyler Cook said the decision will provide “real savings for Georgia families and businesses as the heat of summer begins and energy use increases.”
“At Georgia Power, our teams work every day to run our business efficiently and keep reliable and affordable energy flowing to our customers,” Cook said.
Cook said the outcome followed months of work between Georgia Power and PSC staff, including reviews, public hearings and input from residents and intervenors.
The approved plan is tied to a stipulated agreement reached earlier this month involving two cases filed with the PSC in February, the Fuel Cost Recovery case and the Storm Cost Recovery case. Those cases addressed recovering fuel costs used to generate electricity and expenses tied to restoring power after storms.
Georgia Power said its rates remain, on average, about 15% below the national average and that it is still on track to provide additional annual savings of about $102 per year for typical residential customers beginning in 2029.
ATLANTA – The Georgia Public Service Commission approved a stipulated agreement on Thursday to lower utility rates for Georgia Power customers starting June 1.
The regulatory body voted to pass the deal without changes, establishing how the utility can bill for fuel costs and storm damage restoration expenses.
State regulators approve rate cuts
What we know:
The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) voted 3-2 to reject several utility cost amendments before ultimately passing the overall deal. Under the approved agreement, a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month will see monthly bills decrease by roughly $4.03 to $4.04. Total annual savings across all 2.8 million Georgia Power customers are projected to reach approximately $285 million.
The deal reduces how much money the utility can recover from its customer base for storm expenses by nearly 60%, dropping the revenue requirement from $270 million down to $109 million. The agreement also extends the amortization of storm recovery costs, largely tied to Hurricane Helene in 2024, to 67 months, caps natural gas advance purchases at 20% over a 36-month window, and cuts $13 million from the company’s original fuel recovery estimates.
Accountability questions remain unresolved
What we don’t know:
While the PSC agreed to launch a separate investigation into how fuel costs are allocated, officials have not yet confirmed how much large industrial operations will be forced to pay in future rate cases. Consumer advocacy groups argue that massive data center companies are driving up fuel costs for everyday ratepayers without paying for the infrastructure upgrades they require. Critics note that it remains unclear if a future utility asset structure will successfully shift financial burdens away from residential homes.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from official press releases issued by the Georgia Public Service Commission and Georgia Power, as well as previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting.
Georgia
St Louis CITY2 Goalkeeper Lucas McPartlin Called Up to U.S. U-19 MNT Domestic Training Camp in Fayetteville, Georgia | St. Louis SC
St Louis CITY2 goalkeeper Lucas McPartlin has been called up to the U.S. U-19 Men’s National Team for their upcoming domestic training camp in Fayetteville, Georgia from June 1-10, led by head coach Gonzalo Segares. McPartlin will be representing the U.S. for the first time in his youth national team career. McPartlin is the first CITY SC goalkeeper in club’s history to get a national team call up.
The U.S. U-19’s will face Argentina in back-to-back matches on June 5 and 7, then close out their final match against Japan on June 9.
McPartlin has been a member of St Louis CITY2 since 2025 and made his professional debut against Sporting KC II in August 2025, earning his first professional clean sheet in a 3-0 win. The Missouri Native has made seven starts and appearances for CITY2 this season, earning three clean sheets and making 24 total saves, with a 3-1-3 record. McPartlin spent time with CITY SC in both preseason camps this year and has been a regular in first team training this year.
-
Los Angeles, Ca14 minutes agoRescued sea lion pups released in Manhattan Beach
-
Detroit, MI38 minutes agoSunda New Asian brings bold flavors to Detroit
-
San Francisco, CA50 minutes agoDriver Arrested After Pedestrian Killed, Three Injured In Mission District Crash
-
Dallas, TX56 minutes agoMcAllen Welcomes Texas Hockey | Dallas Stars
-
Miami, FL1 hour agoPair arrested in connection with armed home invasion robbery in Miami, cops say
-
Boston, MA1 hour agoSaturday storm will bring bursts of rain, strong winds, and… snow?
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoVon Miller lobbying Broncos to bring him back (here’s the latest update)
-
Seattle, WA1 hour agoSeattle travel alert: Massive road closures, light rail shutdowns this weekend
