Georgia’s Public Service Commission (PSC), the state agency responsible for overseeing how the largest electric utility, Georgia Power, generates electricity and sets customer rates, recently held its first meeting outside Atlanta in Savannah. The move was led by Commissioner Alicia Johnson, one of two newly elected Democrats on the commission, who wanted to hear from residents beyond the metro area. The meeting came after the PSC approved Georgia Power’s contract with OpenAI, a major artificial intelligence company, and introduced new protections for regular customers. Residents attending the meeting raised concerns about the OpenAI data center planned for Effingham County, near Savannah. Many called for more transparency around the company’s contract with Georgia Power, which is the largest single customer contract the utility has ever reported. Bill Wright of Pooler emphasized the importance of the commission’s name, saying, “There’s a reason you’re named the Public Service Commission and not the Georgia Power service commission or the OpenAI service commission. Your name tells you where your loyalty should lie.” The commissioners clarified that their oversight of data centers is limited to electricity generation and sales if a data center chooses Georgia Power as its utility. They encouraged attendees to address their concerns with local elected officials. Attendees also criticized the commission for high power bills, with Michael Hawthorne of the Sierra Club asking the audience, “Does anybody feel like everything’s reasonably priced?” to which the crowd responded with a resounding “No.” Republican PSC Chair Jason Shaw acknowledged transparency as a key issue, especially regarding the OpenAI data center. He said Georgia Power needs to provide more information about its data center contracts. Some attendees accused the commissioners of not representing the public’s interests and reminded them of the upcoming November election. Corey Foreman, a Democratic candidate for the state senate from a coastal district, said, “If you truly want to be on this board, it’s time to step up and protect the people. If you can’t do that, I will be more than happy to help remove you.” For the first time in over a decade, the PSC includes two Democrats—Peter Hubbard and Alicia Johnson—who took office after unseating two Republican incumbents. The two have cast dissenting votes and closely questioned Georgia Power officials, though they have acknowledged their limited ability to shift policy while in the minority. The District 3 seat held by Hubbard and the District 5 seat recently vacated by Republican Tricia Pridemore are both up for election in November. If Democratic candidates win both seats, the party would hold a majority on the commission for the first time in decades. Early voting begins October 13.