Plant Vogtle allies spend big to buy Georgia PSC runoff for GOP

Jonathan Grant @Brambleman The latest outrage I was in the middle of writing another post when this comes into my DMs from my buddy, former State Rep. and PSC candidate John Noel, accompanied by appropriate salty language—a link to an AJC article: Pro-nuclear power group pumps $750,000 into Georgia PSC runoff An “independent committee” funded by a nuclear-power industry group is plowing at least $750,000 into next week’s Public Service Commission runoff in support of incumbent utility regulator Chuck Eaton, an advocate of Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle project. The group, which was formed the week after the general election, reported receiving the money from a Washington D.C. group called Nuclear Matters, part of the Nuclear Energy Institute. The committee began running ads…

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Updated: Georgia GOP’s handpicked PSC “incumbent” gets primaried

UPDATE: Tricia Pridemore has a Republican challenger, John Hitchins III, who repsonded to this post: “Well, she does have an opponent now in the primary. A true Conservative who doesn’t approve of the current Republican way of cozying up with utility companies. One who believes in energy choice and the free market to decide what is best for Georgia citizens. One who has ZERO alligience to big business and will work to end the corporate welfare that the current PSC has established. I may not be known in political circles, I may be a long shot, but I believe it is time to hold these cronies accountable. My name is John Hitchins and I am running for PSC 5th district.” (The Swamp,…

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Gov. Deal Appoints Tricia Pridemore to Georgia Public Service Commission

UPDATE: Tricia Pridemore has a Republican challenger, John Hitchins III, who repsonded to this post: “Well, she does have an opponent now in the primary. A true Conservative who doesn’t approve of the current Republican way of cozying up with utility companies. One who believes in energy choice and the free market to decide what is best for Georgia citizens. One who has ZERO alligience to big business and will work to end the corporate welfare that the current PSC has established. I may not be known in political circles, I may be a long shot, but I believe it is time to hold these cronies accountable. My name is John Hitchins and I am running for PSC 5th district.” (The Swamp,…

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Environmentalist candidate John Noel says “Bye Bye” with fundraiser as PSC Chair Stan Wise rides off into the Swamp

Over his 23 years in office, Public Service Commission Chairman Stan “Swamp Thing” Wise taught Georgians the Cobb County way by shoving Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 down the state’s throat. If you’ve been a Cobb EMC customer or noticed how the Braves stadium deal came to pass, you know what I’m talking about: A good old boy network colludes with corporate interests to screw the public. And while Cobb EMC’s former manager faces dozens of racketeering charges, consumers will never get their money back. And the same goes for Vogtle, which may or may not be completed. Today was Wise’s last day on the job.  During his final meeting today, a colleague read from a Senate Resolution honoring…

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PSC Candidate John Noel to Georgia Power: Give tax savings to consumers

As a result of the federal government’s recent corporate tax cuts effective this year, utilities will save millions of dollars on their tax bills. Many electric utilities are announcing plans to pass on recently-enacted federal tax cuts to their customers. The New York Times reports: In recent days, electric companies in Massachusetts, Illinois, Oregon and other states have announced plans to pass their tax cuts on to customers through lower rates. On Tuesday, Pepco, which provides power to nearly 300,000 customers in Washington, D.C., said it would cut rates beginning in the current quarter. But with Georgia Power and its parent, Southern Company, scrambling to find cash to complete the $25-billion-and-counting Plant Vogtle boondoggle near Augusta, you gotta wonder if they have other ideas…

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Hot mic: John Noel’s outlaw testimony at the Georgia Public Service Commission

FREE JOHN NOEL!  (OK, he hasn’t been arrested yet.) When John Noel showed up to speak as a public witness Monday at the Georgia Public Service Commission, Chairman Stan Wise cut him off, claiming that, as a PSC candidate he had “other forums.” Noel was irritated at the censorship. He’d spoken at the PSC several times before, as a legislator, later as an energy-efficiency expert, and most recently in June—as a PSC candidate. So what happened between June and now? Well, there was this. Needless to say, Wise is not a big fan of Noel, who wants to take the PSC seat of the chairman’s buddy, Chuck Eaton. Not to be denied, Noel took matters into his own hands and produced a…

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