Pam Davidson
The Public Service Commission regulates Georgia’s power, telephone, and natural gas and telecommunications companies.
“The commissioners are the only people who can protect you against utility companies,” said Davidson. “They can make Georgia Power lower your rate.”
Davidson sought the Republican nomination for the commission’s old District 4 seat in 2008, receiving 48 percent of the vote in losing to Lauren “Bubba” McDonald Jr.
She has experience in the energy field, working as an energy consultant and lobbying at the State Capitol for affordable renewable energy.
The candidate said her platform was ethics reform, monitoring of the two new nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle near Augusta and transparency on commission affairs.
“Those two nuclear reactors were a $17 billion investment, and we want it to work out,” Davidson said. “We need honest people to move us forward.”
CNN Money reported in February that The Southern Co.’s new nuclear reactors were expected to cost $14 billion and provide 2,200 megawatts of power, or enough power for 1 million homes.
“I want to vigilantly watch those reactors and keep rates down,” Davidson said.
She also said that EMCs, or electric membership corporations, such as GreyStone Power, also are regulated by the commission because they buy power from bigger companies like Georgia Power.
“It may not be GreyStone developing those plants, but many times they purchase from others’ plants,” said Davidson. “Anyone at the EMC level should be concerned.”
The candidate also said she would advocate for affordable renewable energy while on the commission.
She said she advocates biomass energy — power from burning formerly live materials such as trees — as the “base load” power, and then suggested adding solar energy down the road. However, she said solar energy is expensive to produce.
“We’re looking at federal mandates for renewables, but the question is how we do that without raising rate?” Davidson said.
Vote for Pam Davidson today for PSC!