May 31, 2011

Georgia is experiencing an extreme heat wave that can be dangerous – especially to the most vulnerable, such as the elderly, sick, and very young. When temperatures rise, Georgia Power customers should be aware that Georgia Power cannot disconnect service when the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory, as predicted for tomorrow.

The extreme weather rule has been in effect since January 2009 and is part of the Public Service Commission’s seasonal restrictions, which also includes a ban on disconnections during winter months when temperatures fall below 32 degrees. Read more

May 24,2011

Due largely to lower natural gas prices than expected, the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) voted 4-1 today to decrease Georgia Power’s Fuel Cost Recovery (FCR) rate by $0.64 per month for the typical 1000 kWh residential customer.

Georgia Watch formally intervened in the case on behalf of residential and small business customers and supported the decrease. Read more

By Angela Speir Phelps
May 15, 2011

If you put lipstick on a pig it will most likely just look silly – it doesn’t change the fact that it’s still a pig – stinky yet adorned. The same can be said for Senate Bill 160, one of this legislative session’s most egregious bills. It’s a bad bill that got amended in the eleventh hour of session to close an ethics loophole. The loophole allowed lobbyist spending on state employees to go unreported – that loophole is now closed – thanks to the amendment. Although the amendment is good, the bill is bad and it was the wrong bill to attach this amendment to. Read more