Georgia Public Service Commission

	Georgia Public Service Commission
	; ;
	General information
Office Type:	Partisan
Office website:	Official Link
2013 FY Budget:	$9,505,287
Total Seats:	5
Term limits:	None
	Structure
Length of term:	5 years
Authority:	Georgia Constitution, Article IV, Section 1, Paragraph I
Leadership:	Chuck Eaton (R)
Selection Method:	Elected
	Other Georgia Executive Offices
	Governor•Lieutenant Governor•Secretary of State•Attorney General•Treasurer•Auditor•Superintendent of Schools•Agriculture Commissioner•Insurance Commissioner•Natural Resources Commissioner•Labor Commissioner•Public Service Commission

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The Georgia Public Service Commission is a quasi-executive, quasi-legislative state body responsible for regulating Georgia's public utilities -- that is, electric, gas, telecommunications and transportation firms. Unlike many similar bodies nationwide, the Georgia commission does not regulate water/sewer or gas providers. The commission is composed of five popularly elected members who serve staggered, six-year terms.

Current officeholders

The current commissioners are Tim Echols (since 2011), Stan Wise (since 1995), Chuck Eaton (since 2007), H. Doug Everett (since 2003) and Lauren "Bubba" McDonald, Jr. (since 1998). All five are Republicans.

Authority

The public service commission is established by the Georgia Constitution.

Georgia Constitution, Article IV, Section 1, Paragraph I

(a) There shall be a Public Service Commission for the regulation of utilities which shall consist of five members who shall be elected by the people.

Qualifications

State law requires commissioners to be:

At least 30 years old
Qualified to vote in state elections
Free of any financial interest in any public service utility or related business (i.e. stock, bonds, employment contract, etc.)^[1]

Georgia Code, 46-2-2

Any person who is at least 30 years of age, is qualified to vote as an elector, and is not directly or indirectly interested in any mercantile business or any corporation that is controlled by or that participates in the benefit of any pool, combination, trust, contract, or arrangement that has the effect of increasing or tending to increase the cost to the public of carriage, heat, light, power, or any commodity or merchandise sold to the public shall be eligible for membership on the commission, without regard to his experience in law or in the utility or transportation business.

Elections

Commissioners are elected to six-year terms in staggered years. Each of the five commissioners resides in one of five districts, the boundaries of which are established by state law. Though each commissioner must be a resident of the district he "represents" for 12 months prior to election, commissioners are chosen in statewide elections and not by the citizens of their district. Commissioners take office on December 31 in the year of their election.^[2]

2012

District 3 General Election Results

Georgia Public Service Commission District 3 General Election, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Chuck Eaton Incumbent	52.1%	1,858,663
	Democratic	Stephen Oppenheimer	43.1%	1,537,923
	Libertarian	Brad Ploeger	4.8%	171,138
Total Votes				3,567,724
Election Results via Georgia Secretary of State.

District 5 General Election Results

Georgia Public Service Commission District 5 General Election, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Stan Wise Incumbent	65.8%	2,110,146
	Libertarian	David Staples	34.2%	1,095,115
Total Votes				3,205,261
Election Results via Georgia Secretary of State.

Term limits

There are no term limits for Georgia public service commissioners.

Vacancies

If a vacancy occurs, the governor appoints a replacement to serve until the next general election.

Georgia Code, 46-2-4

Any vacancy in the commission shall be filled by the Governor. Any person so appointed shall hold his office until the next regular general election and until his successor for the balance of the unexpired term has been elected and has qualified.

Duties

Public service commissioners are responsible for making regulations covering Georgia's electric, gas, telecommunications and intrastate transportation firms. State law also gives the commission the power to hear complaints against public utilities, require utilities to maintain certain services or facilities, and "examine the affairs" of utilities and "keep informed of their general condition."^[3]

Divisions

Administration
Utilities
- Telecommunications and Transportation
- Internal Consultants
- Electric
- Consumer Affairs
- Facilities Protection
- Natural Gas^[4]

State budget

The budget for the Public Service Commission in Fiscal Year 2013 was $9,505,287.^[5]

Compensation

In 2010, commissioners received a salary of $116,452.

Recent news

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