The Georgia Public Service Commission has approved a deal to lower the rate Georgia Power charges for fuel. The change is expected to reduce power bills for millions of Georgians.
“It’s great to be able to offer some relief to Georgia Power ratepayers,” commission chair Jason Shaw wrote in a statement, where he acknowledged recent bill increases that he blamed on inflation, the war in Ukraine and other global events.
The commission was considering two issues at the same time: the cost of the fuel, such as coal or natural gas, that runs power plants, and the cost of cleaning up from Hurricane Helene – the most destructive storm in Georgia Power’s history. Under Georgia law, utility customers pay for both.
The lower fuel rate offsets the hurricane costs, resulting in a net decrease to power bills.
A deal between Georgia Power, the commission’s public interest advocacy staff, and some of the intervening parties increased the savings beyond what Georgia Power had initially proposed. Under that agreement, which the commission approved unanimously on Thursday, the monthly bill for a typical, 1000-kilowatt-hour customer will go down by about $4.
