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Senate panel advances bill to restore Consumers Utility Council after hours of testimony
Summary
After multiple hours of testimony from former commissioners, local officials and advocates, the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities committee voted 8-3 to advance SB94, which would reestablish a Consumers Utility Council to provide discovery rights and independent legal representation for residential and small commercial ratepayers before the Georgia Public Service Commission.
The Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities committee advanced Senate Bill 94 on a 8-3 vote after more than an hour of testimony from former Public Service Commissioners, local government staff and consumer advocates.
Senator Michelle Huffstetler, who presented the bill, said the Consumers Utility Council (CUC) would restore an independent, attorney-led advocate for ratepayers and give them legal discovery rights in contested PSC cases. "We have billions of dollars going on here," she said, arguing the CUC would help ensure the public has a representative who can access redacted material and participate fully in negotiations.
Former Public Service Commissioner Bobby Baker testified at length that residential and small commercial customers currently lack meaningful representation in rate cases. He described repeated use of stipulated agreements between Georgia Power and PSC staff "before any party had a chance to even intervene," and cited the Plant Vogtle proceedings as an example where he said the public was shut out of full review and cross-examination. "Reestablishing the Consumers Utility Council may not be a perfect solution, but it is far better than the current situation where secret deals are entered into between a utility company and the commission staff," Baker said.
Kiana Jones Moore, senior environmental policy aide to Dicap County Super District 6 Commissioner Ted Terry, told the committee her office supports the bill and that constituents have reported poor treatment at PSC meetings. Other witnesses, including a long-time intervenor who said he had argued before federal licensing boards, urged the committee to restore the CUC so ordinary ratepayers have a lawyer at the table.
Supporters said the CUC would be modeled on similar offices in other states and would have the authority to participate in settlement negotiations and pursue judicial review when necessary. Critics on the committee asked whether the PSC could be given more staff or whether the proposed office would duplicate functions. Questioners also asked how to prevent past problems with the CUC from recurring; backers replied there is no foolproof guarantee but said independent discovery and counsel are necessary checks on a process that increasingly relies on early stipulated agreements.
The committee adopted a motion to report SB94 favorably and send it to the rules committee; the recorded tally was eight in favor and three opposed.
What happens next: SB94 will be scheduled for the rules committee and, if released, could be placed on the Senate floor calendar for further consideration.
