Voting for Georgia’s Public Service Commission: Your Power Bill, Your Climate, Your Choice
Georgia Tech Students Organizing for Sustainability & Energy Club, in collaboration with Grist and Southern Environmental Law Center present:
Voting for Georgia’s Public Service Commission: Your Power Bill, Your Climate, Your Choice
A panel discussion on the most important climate issue on the November ballot
Did you know an elected board of commissioners, the Public Service Commission (PSC), determines where Georgia gets its energy and how much Georgians pay for it? This group is the only governing body that can regulate Georgia Power, and has an outsized hand in directing how the state’s power is sourced (currently, 63% is from fossil fuels). These functions make the PSC a critical link between Georgian voters and their energy future. But many voters have no idea what the PSC does—and many who do say they haven't had a fair say in who represents them in this commission. In fact, Black voters sued in 2020, with a court finding that this system violates the Voting Rights Act. An appeal later overturned that ruling, and during the legal battle, elections to choose commissioners have been on hold. Meanwhile, the average utility bills in the state have continued to rise.
This November, Georgian voters will have the opportunity to elect 2 of the PSC’s 5 commissioners. This election could have a significant impact on Georgia’s power grid, carbon emissions, and climate resilience.
Join Grist, Georgia Tech’s Energy Club, and Students Organizing for Sustainability to learn about why the PSC election is so critical to Georgia’s climate and hear directly from the candidates up for (re)election.
Featured Speakers
Joel Alvarado is Vice President for Strategy and Engagement at Partnership for Southern Equity, a regional social justice organization dedicated to advancing racial equity and shared prosperity in the American South.
Emily Jones is the Georgia Local Reporter covering climate change, the environment, and environmental justice as part of a partnership between Grist and WABE. Before joining Grist in 2021, she hosted “Morning Edition” and covered the Georgia coast for Georgia Public Broadcasting.
Kiran Kapileshwari is a senior at Georgia Tech studying Mechanical Engineering, dedicated to solving societal challenges through innovation and service. Through Amplifiers: Atlanta with Rewiring America and Generation180, Kiran created action plans to build awareness around clean energy, and with Billie Eilish's OVERHEATED, he helped amplify Gen Z voices in climate justice movements. Kiran believes in the power of young people to lead and is passionate about building connections across communities to drive climate action, equity, and justice.
Moderated by Nikhil Swaminathan is the CEO of Grist. He began his tenure at Grist as a senior editor, founding its Environmental Justice Desk. He became executive editor in early 2018 and transformed Grist into an authoritative digital magazine, garnering an unprecedented number of awards. Since his arrival, Grist was honored with two Edward R. Murrow Awards, its first-ever General Excellence nomination at The National Magazine Awards, and three 2021 Online Journalism Awards. Prior to joining Grist, Swaminathan held editorial positions at Scientific American, Al Jazeera America, GOOD, and Archaeology.