by Jonathan Shapiro
ATLANTA 12/6/2013 — AARP is aiming to rally opposition against Georgia Power’s latest rate hike request through radio and internet ads.
Radio Ad: “Even after four years of rate hikes, Georgia Power is asking for another increase.”
The ads come despite a tentative deal reached last month between the power company, state regulators, and consumer groups to lower the rate request from $1.46 billion to $873 million.
Read the whole article: WABE 90.1
By 
Walter C. Jones
ATLANTA 12/2/13 — Georgia Power agreed last month to settle for a smaller rate hike than it had wanted, an agreement that won endorsement by nearly a dozen consumer, environmental and business advocacy groups, but one organization is fighting it.
The retiree-advocacy AARP is airing radio and online commercials and pushing a petition to urge the five members of the Public Service Commission to nix the agreement negotiated by its public-interest staff that slices the rate hike almost in half. Monday, the 1-million-member group reported collecting almost 3,000 signatures.
Its advertisement on WSB-AM in Atlanta points people to a website action.aarp.org/GAutilities where they can voice their opposition to the rate hike still part of the agreement as well as the reduced profit target. Georgia Power is accepting a reduction from 11.15 percent to 10.95, but the ad says that’s higher than the national average for other regulated monopoly utilities.
“In these tough economic times, Georgia families deserve to keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets – by paying Georgia Power what’s fair and reasonable, and not a dime more,” said AARP spokesman Ed Van Herik.
Read the whole article: Florida Times-Union
by Gloria Tatum
(APN) ATLANTA 11/18/13 — The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) has finished months of public and expert testimony on Georgia Power’s request for a 482 million dollar rate increase and an increase in the company’s guaranteed profit from 11.15 percent to 11.50 percent.
Georgia Power is also asking for a surcharge of $5.56 per kilowatt on self-generated power from solar panels, plus a solar tariff, on customers who install solar panels after January 01, 2014.
The PSC is expected to consider the requests at its December 17, 2013, administrative session.
If approved, the 482 million dollar rate hike would add nearly eight dollars per month to the average residential bill. The solar tax is another 22 dollars for residential customer and commercial solar systems who add solar after January 01.
According to Georgia Watch, this is on top of Georgia Power increases since 2003 that have added over 44 dollars per month to household electric bills.
Read the whole article: Atlanta Progressive News
by Nick Coltraine
ATHENS 10/30/13 – A proposed tariff on solar energy generators, Plant Vogtle and an overall price increase proposed by Georgia Power dominated a discussion with Georgia Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols on Wednesday.
The town hall at the University of Georgia Chapel, organized by the Sierra Club and consumer advocates with Georgia Watch, burst into applause after impassioned speeches from attendants about clean energy, climate change and fighting against “King Georgia Power,” as one attendee called the state utility.
Read the whole article: OnLineAthens
by Mark Eggers
GAINESVILLE 10/29/13 – Georgia Public Service Commission member Tim Echols addressed the audience Tuesday evening in the Brenau Downtown Center, saying, “There’s really no perfect form of energy out there, even solar has its issues.”
Echols and fellow Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald had traveled from Atlanta to hear the opinions and suggestions of consumers in northeast Georgia at an open town-meeting sponsored by consumer advocacy group Georgia Watch and environmental organization, the Sierra Club.
Tonight’s meeting, being the third of four across the state, was organized because Georgia Power has requested permission to raise their power rates by $478 million at year’s end. They need the Public Service Commission’s consent to do so as the utility operates under the Commission’s aegis. The Commission wants consumer input.
Read the whole article: AccessNorthGA.com
SAVANNAH 10/17/13 – “Unconscionable” and “theft” were two of the words used Thursday evening to describe a residential rate hike and fee on solar installations proposed by Georgia Power.
More than 50 people attended a meeting sponsored by Georgia Watch and the Sierra Club at the Coastal Georgia Center to discuss the issues.
The rate hike, proposed in July, would have average residential customers paying almost $8 more a month. Some homeowners with solar panels would pay a new monthly fee of about $22 by Georgia Power’s estimations.
Read the whole article: Connect Savannah
by Jonathan Shapiro
ATLANTA 10/3/13 — The state Public Service Commission held its second day of hearings on a Georgia Power request to charge residential ratepayers about $8 more per month.
Part of the request includes a new tariff on solar users, a proposal facing much scrutiny.
At Thursday’s hearing, Georgia Power Vice President of Pricing and Planning Greg Roberts acknowledged the growing demand for solar and other renewables.
“This is just where we’re headed… renewable resources have become a lot more cost effective – solar certainly, wind. I think customers are interested in putting these things on their homes or businesses for a variety of reasons and we want to help our customers do that but we want to make sure that we not only help customers that are interested, we want to help all customers.”
The company is proposing an average tariff of about $22 per month for new home solar systems that aren’t a part of Georgia Power-sponsored solar initiatives.
Read the whole article: WABE 90.1 FM
by Dave Williams
ATLANTA 10/1/13 — Georgia Power Co. was described Tuesday as a generous corporate citizen and a monopoly that’s too close to the state agency that decides how much profit it’s allowed to earn.
Supporters and opponents of the Atlanta-based utility’s $482 million rate increase request took turns praising and criticizing Georgia Power during a hearing before the Georgia Public Service Commission.
The company is seeking a rate hike of 6.1 percent, which would increase the average residential customer bill by $7.84 per month, to keep up with operating and maintenance costs during a time of sluggish economic growth that has cut into its sales.
Read the whole article: Atlanta Business Chronicle