Good morning. Electricity doesn’t just power our daily lives—it also helps trees and other flora communicate. Now, a startup wants to eavesdrop on those convos with the help of AI. The founders of Electric Plant think that the signals swapped between greenery could help growers fine-tune their fertilizer and watering schedules. Here at the Energy Central office, some of our plants could certainly benefit from an attentive listener. 👂
— Molly, Carrie, and the Energy Central editorial team
Is Compliance Enough to Protect Your Grid? The grid is becoming more connected and complex. Get practical guidance on strengthening your IT and OT cyber posture before new risks become bigger problems. Register Now
Georgia’s utility regulator election could have ripple effects throughout the country.
Last year, a typically sleepy state-level race sparked national attention: In Georgia, two Democrats notched a win at the Public Service Commission—the party’s first victory in any state office in two decades. How? Ratepayer frustration over spiking energy bills.
After the PSC’s 2025 special election, Republicans still held the majority (3-2). But in a few weeks, that could change—and if a blue stronghold emerges, commissioners could crack down on utility spending and slow the data center buildout.
Who’s on the ballot:
Fitz Johnson (R), who served on the PSC from 2021-2025, and 2025 winner Peter Hubbard (D), are running for District 3. This small but densely populated region includes the city of Atlanta.
Shelia Edwards (D), a business owner and community advocate, and Josh Tolbert (R), an engineer promising “technical competence,” are running for District 5. It covers a swath of northwest Georgia.
The background: The commission regulates the investor-owned, vertically integrated utility Georgia Power, a Southern Company subsidiary serving nearly the entire state. The company’s PSC-approved rate hikes added $43/month, on average, to residential bills from 2023-2025. That includes fees for the infamous Vogtle nuclear plant expansion and fuel cost jumps amid the Russia-Ukraine war.
The voter perspective: The PSC has offered some bill relief by, for example, approving Georgia Power’s plan to freeze base rates through 2028. Still, GA households “are already at the limit at what they can afford to pay, and the costs that they face are only continuing to grow,” said Nikki Luke, an associate professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, who authored a book on utility regulation and energy affordability in Georgia.
The latest: Now, rates could continue to rise as Georgia Power scrambles for new generation to serve nearly 16 GW of committed large loads. In December, the PSC rubber-stamped the utility’s data center-driven request for almost 10 GW of new capacity (mostly gas).
This move drew criticism from consumer advocates and Commissioner Hubbard, who worry that some data center plans won’t pan out—leaving ratepayers with the bill for the gassy new gigawatts. The commission faced similar backlash for OK’ing Georgia Power’s secretive contract with Open AI for a planned 3.2-GW data center (a decision made without a direct vote).
Now, the PSC has some key decisions ahead. After the newly minted commissioners take office on Dec. 31, they’ll have a say on issues including:
Georgia Power’s request for another 2-6 GW of new capacity
Whether major data center contracts require a commission vote for approval
Cost allocation between large loads and other customers (including fuel expenses)
How a Democratic majority could shift the status quo: Both Hubbard and Edwards want to increase scrutiny of utility spending. Hubbard has also claimed that Georgia is “oversubscribed on fossil fuels,” and supports a state data center moratorium.
Why America should pay attention: If GA flips these seats, it sends a message to the country’s nine other voter-elected utility commissions: Bill spikes can sway voters to go blue.
“In Georgia, people are finding out they have a voice,” said Tommy Turner, a consultant who has researched the costs of the state’s data center expansion. “The commissioners are seeing they need to listen.” 👂
Share your utility’s weather-related challenges and help identify technology gaps and opportunities to strengthen grid resilience. Complete the 5-minute survey
Most Americans don’t fully trust their state utility regulators, a Consumer Reports survey suggests. 👀
The numbers: That stat comes from a survey of over 2K US adults conducted from April-May 2026. Just 1% claimed they “completely” trust these officials to protect their interests.
Why? “Nationwide, Americans are skeptical that the system is working in their favor,” Consumer Reports explained in a statement. Respondents were most likely to cite utility profits and data center demand as the drivers behind rising bills. Plus, half said it’s “unacceptable” for utilities to charge customers for business expenses beyond energy production and delivery.
What the people want: Across party lines, 84% of respondents said they would support separate utility rate classes for large power users. Meanwhile, nearly 70% said utilities should pay for initial data center-associated infrastructure costs out of their own pockets (and not with other customers’ funds).
Virginia regulators are urging state judges to reject the Dominion-NextEra merger…unless the companies make some changes.
The reasoning: Under state law, Dominion and NextEra must prove that the merger won’t hamper their ability to charge “just and reasonable rates.” The issue? Combining with NextEra would expose Dominion to more “financial and business risks,” the VA Corporation Commission Staff wrote.
Yes, but: The staff would support the merger with more safeguards in place. They recommend that Dominion: 1) Set up an independent board of directors and 2) maintain in-state employee levels for at least a decade. VA Gov. Abigail Spanberger chimed in, calling for a six-year residential base rate freeze.
What’s next: The final say lies with the commission’s judges. And, as former Virginia SCC Chairman Mark Christie noted on LinkedIn, the judges “often make decisions that are contrary to Staff positions.”
A court has upended a ruling that halted construction of TVA’s $2.5B gas plant in Tennessee.
The context: In August, a federal court ruled that TVA violated the National Environmental Policy Act by beginning work on a 1.5-GW gas plant in Tennessee. Why? The utility signed an agreement with East Tennessee Natural Gas before fully considering lower-cost and cleaner generation alternatives.
The latest: An appeals court has overhauled that decision, claiming that the ruling misinterpreted NEPA and TVA’s agreement with the gas company. Plus, abandoning the plant at this point “would impose high costs on TVA and the public,” according to the court.
Where things stand: TVA can keep on building. The plant is about half finished, but the utility won't pull off the original launch date of 2028 (due to supply chain snags).
Want in front of the people who run the grid? Energy Central reaches 120K+ utility and energy professionals through newsletters, webinars, podcasts, events and sponsored content. If you're trying to build authority or generate leads in this industry, reach out today
🌿 Pinpoint vegetation risk more precisely than ever. Learn how to create a credible, defensible, and effective vegetation management program that can improve your risk profile, your standing with regulators, and your customers' satisfaction. Join Energy Central and our partners at Fulcrum for today’s webinar at 1 p.m. ET:
Thanks for reading. Don’t be a stranger!