Alicia Johnson takes oath as Georgia PSC member in historic first

Alicia Johnson took the next step toward a statewide role on Georgia’s Public Service Commission with a ceremonial swearing-in Monday in the commission chambers in Atlanta, setting up her start Thursday on the five-member panel. Johnson’s election makes her the first Black woman chosen in Georgia to a state Public Service Commission seat that is not a judgeship, and she described it as a “historic milestone.”

Johnson, speaking to reporters after the ceremonial oath, said the first-time nature of the assignment comes with a heavy sense of responsibility. She told reporters, “I think that anybody who does something for the first time has a — you know it could be an overwhelming sense of responsibility,” and she added, “It’s a shame that a commission that has over a 100-year history, that I’m the first anything on it. But the reality is, that’s who we are.”

Her election victory in November came with a change in Georgia’s statewide political landscape: Johnson and Peter Hubbard won blowout victories over incumbent Republican commissioners Tim Echols and Fitz Johnson. The AP reported that the wins were driven by public discontent over rising electricity bills and by the pace of data center development in the state.

Georgia’s Public Service Commission regulates the rates Georgia Power Co. charges customers. Georgia Power, the Atlanta-based unit of Southern Co., is the state’s only private electrical utility, and the utility has 2.7 million customers, according to the AP.

Johnson said she is approaching the new role with awareness of how commission decisions affect people beyond the political milestone. She told reporters, “I accept this responsibility fully aware that the decisions made in this room and in this role affects families’ monthly bills, their community health, their economic opportunity and our shared future.”

As Johnson and Hubbard prepare to take office, the overall commission alignment will remain Republican-led. Georgia’s Public Service Commission had been made up of five Republicans, and a three-member GOP majority will remain after the new commissioners are seated.

In remarks about how she intends to operate with her new colleagues, Johnson said she has met with two of those Republicans and is seeking ways to work together.