COLUMBUS, Ga. - Democrats won both Georgia Public Service Commission seats on the Nov. 3 ballot, giving them a 3-2 majority on the five-member panel that regulates Georgia Power. Incumbent Peter Hubbard won a full six-year term, and Sheila Edwards won an open seat, according to Georgia Public Broadcasting and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Columbus area is in Georgia Power's service territory, so the commission's decisions on rates and power plants reach local households and businesses.

The results are unofficial until counties certify them and the state completes its count. Decision Desk HQ's tally showed Hubbard ahead by about 12.8 percentage points and Edwards ahead by about 10.7 points as of Nov. 5. News outlets called both races, but the sources reviewed for this story did not report final vote totals.

Who won

Hubbard, a Democrat, first won a one-year term in a 2025 special election, beating Republican Fitz Johnson. Johnson ran again this year in a rematch and lost, according to the AJC. The AJC reported that Democrats now hold three seats with Commissioner Alicia Johnson, who also won in 2025.

Edwards, a Democrat, defeated Republican Josh Tolbert in an open-seat race after Republican Commissioner Tricia Pridemore chose not to run again, according to GPB. The AJC reported that Tolbert's campaign drew more than $3 million from pro-industry groups. Edwards told the AJC, "The voters have spoken, and I am ready to go to work on their behalf."

What the commission does

The Public Service Commission regulates electric and natural gas utilities in Georgia, and it influences rates and the mix of energy sources, from coal and natural gas to nuclear and renewables, according to GPB. Its five members are elected statewide even though each must live in a district. That statewide vote is why a Columbus voter cast a ballot in the same PSC contests as a voter in Atlanta or Savannah.

Hubbard said the commission's oversight is limited to power sourcing and data center tariffs, according to Heatmap News. In other words, the panel does not decide where data centers are built. It does decide how Georgia Power plans to serve their demand and what rates those customers pay.

The bill context

Rising power bills were central to the campaign. The AJC reported that the previous Republican-led commission approved six rate increases in three years, raising the average household's bill by a combined $43 a month. Heatmap reported that the commission approved a three-year base rate freeze through 2028 before the election, a plan Georgia Power itself proposed.

Using the Heatmap-MIT Electricity Price Hub, Heatmap reported that Georgia's average rates rose less than 1% in the past year, but more than 18% over three years. A freeze on base rates does not necessarily cover every charge on a bill, and the sources reviewed did not detail which charges remain outside it. Customers who want to know what applies to their own account can check the bill or contact Georgia Power.

What the winners and others said

Hubbard said Democrats will focus on "lowering power bills instead of constantly increasing corporate profits," according to Heatmap. Edwards said data centers "came into our communities" without paying taxes while using local water and electricity, according to the same report. Hubbard cited an estimated $3.5 billion in tax abatements for data centers in Georgia this year, according to Heatmap.

The Republican Party of Georgia said, "Tonight's outcome is not what our candidates worked so hard to achieve," according to GPB. Johnson said he was disappointed and cited his work on "some of the strongest safeguards in the country to protect rate payers." Georgia Power spokesperson Meredith Stone congratulated both winners and said the company looks forward to working with them, according to the AJC.

What happens next

The sources reviewed did not say when the new terms begin, and they named no specific rate case set for a vote. The AJC said the wins set up likely battles over future power bills, whether Georgia Power adopts cleaner energy, and whether more nuclear power could come into play. Southern Co., Georgia Power's parent company, saw its shares fall slightly more than 0.5% in after-hours trading on election night, according to Heatmap.

Georgia Power's own plans give the new majority plenty to review. The AJC reported that Southern Co. set a 2050 net-zero goal in 2020, but the utility still relies heavily on fossil fuels, has reversed plans to close nearly all its coal plants by 2030, and is building more gas plants. For now, the commission's published agendas and Georgia Power filings are where residents can follow any change.

Where to follow the PSC

The Georgia Public Service Commission posts its meeting schedules, dockets and consumer information on its website, psc.ga.gov. Residents can also file comments or complaints about a utility through the commission's consumer affairs process. The Columbus Times will report when the commission announces its next votes on Georgia Power.