Georgia PSC Candidate Forum: Energy and Housing Affordability
For Georgia families, housing affordability extends beyond rent or mortgage payments. It also includes the cost of keeping the lights on and homes safe and comfortable throughout the year.
On Thursday, August 27, HouseATL’s Sustainable and Resilient Housing Working Group, together with Georgia ACT, Southface Institute, AARP Georgia and Georgia Watch, will host a Georgia Public Service Commission Candidate Forum focused on utility costs, energy policy and residential housing affordability.
The free, public forum will take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Riverside EpiCenter in Austell, with lunch provided. Mayor Michael Owens of Mableton will deliver welcome remarks, and Crystal Edmonson, senior editor at the Atlanta Business Chronicle, will moderate the conversation.
Candidates running for seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission will answer questions about rate design, long-term energy planning, data center growth, broadband and telecommunications access, energy efficiency and consumer protections.
Register for the free candidate forum
Why the Public Service Commission matters
The Georgia Public Service Commission regulates investor-owned electric, natural gas and telecommunications utilities in the state. Its decisions affect the rates customers pay, the energy resources Georgia relies on and the investments utilities make to serve future demand.
Those decisions have become increasingly important for household budgets. Since 2022, six PSC-approved rate increases have added approximately $43 to the average Georgia Power customer’s monthly residential bill, about $516 annually, according to reporting from FOX 5 Atlanta.
The impact is especially significant for households already experiencing a high energy burden, meaning they spend a disproportionate share of their income on electricity and other home energy costs. According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, half of Atlanta’s low-income households spend more than 10% of their income on energy.
“Housing affordability doesn’t stop at the front door,” said Natallie Keiser, executive director of HouseATL. “When utility bills climb, families have less to cover rent, mortgage payments, emergency home repairs or savings toward their first home. This forum gives voters a direct look at how each candidate plans to balance energy growth with residential affordability.”
Southface is particularly interested in how candidates would use energy efficiency to help Georgia meet growing energy needs while lowering costs for residents and businesses.
“Energy-efficiency upgrades can lower utility bills for households and businesses while reducing strain on Georgia’s energy grid as demand grows,” said Nathan Bessette, interim executive director of Southface Institute. “With many Georgians already facing high utility costs and growing concerns about meeting the state’s future energy needs, we want to hear how each candidate would expand practical efficiency solutions that benefit families, businesses and our energy system.”
Meet the candidates
The following candidates have been confirmed for the forum:
District 3: Peter Hubbard
Peter Hubbard is the current District 3 Public Service Commissioner, having been elected in November 2025 and sworn into office in January 2026. According to his official biography, Hubbard has 16 years of energy-industry experience, including work involving solar and battery-storage development, utility integrated resource planning, energy-market analysis and grid interconnection. He also founded the nonprofit Georgia Center for Energy Solutions in 2019.
District 5: Shelia Edwards
Shelia Edwards is a Cobb County community advocate, journalist and business owner with more than 35 years of leadership experience in government, communications, public policy and community engagement. According to her campaign biography, she previously worked for Lockheed Space Operations in support of NASA’s Space Shuttle Program and served as interim executive director of the Georgia House Democratic Caucus.
District 5: Dr. Josh Tolbert
Dr. Josh Tolbert is a small-business owner and professional engineer with four engineering degrees, including a doctorate in mechanical engineering. According to his campaign biography, he has worked across a range of energy technologies and industrial facilities and previously served as an engineering professor at Kennesaw State University. He has also worked as an expert witness and as an engineering executive in the advanced nuclear energy industry.
District 3: Fitz Johnson — Invited
Fitz Johnson has also been invited to participate. Johnson is a businessman and 21-year U.S. Army veteran who served on the Public Service Commission from 2021 through December 2025. According to his campaign biography, he is a graduate of The Citadel and holds a master’s degree in education from Troy University and a law degree from the University of Kentucky. His previous community service includes positions with the Kennesaw State University Foundation, Wellstar Health System and the State Charter Schools Commission.
Learn from experts before hearing from the candidates
HouseATL will also host a free public convening before the candidate forum, giving attendees an opportunity to hear from experts and build a stronger understanding of the connections among housing affordability, utility regulation and energy policy.
The convening offers helpful context for the candidate discussion that follows, making it possible for attendees to learn about the issues and then hear directly from those seeking seats on the Commission.
Learn more and register for the pre-forum convening
Event details
What: Georgia Public Service Commission Candidate Forum
When: Thursday, August 27, 2026, from noon to 1:30 p.m.
Where: Grand Ballroom, Riverside EpiCenter, 135 Riverside Parkway, Austell, GA 30168
Cost: Free; lunch will be provided
Registration: Required
Register for the Georgia PSC Candidate Forum
The November 3 election will help determine who oversees some of Georgia’s most consequential decisions about utility rates, infrastructure investments and the state’s energy future. This forum gives voters an opportunity to learn more about the candidates, compare their approaches and consider how their priorities could affect Georgia families, businesses and communities.