Priorities

Every vote Tricia takes on the Public Service Commission will be done in an effort to maintain utility rates that are fair to the consumer, reasonable, and affordable. Georgia’s rates have averaged 13% below the national average for the past 20 years, and the average Georgia consumer’s electric bill is roughly the same today as it was in 2011. While we hope that the current leadership in Washington will lead to further reductions in cost for the consumer, it is the PSC’s responsibility to prepare for less favorable times. Tricia will be at the forefront guarding against efforts to subsidize social programs through the PSC, and will be the voice that stands up to corporate special interests that hurt the average taxpayer.

Reliable energy is key for businesses to grow, and to provide a high quality of life for their employees when they get home. Georgia has gained an advantage on our neighboring states as they have struggled to build new generation along with the transmission and pipelines needed to produce reliability. Meanwhile, Georgia has built an affordable, proven energy network. With extensive gas pipelines and electricity transmission networks, along with a diversified energy portfolio of coal, nuclear, gas and renewables, Georgia is a preferred state to grow a business and a family. However, we reached this position by looking towards the future, and that is what Tricia intends to do on the PSC.

Tricia knows the continued success of job creation in Georgia is dependent on an energy infrastructure throughout the state that serves as the lifeblood of countless industries. We are blessed with an abundance of energy providers, networks, and systems because of the commitments made years ago to invest for the future. Tricia will work to ensure lower rates are provided to all Georgians for years to come by investing in affordable infrastructure improvements.

Just as our children in rural Georgia face an unnecessary burden in their education due to lack of access to high-speed internet, so do the businesses and industries in these regions. Tricia will push to see the PSC advance high-speed internet coverage in every corner of Georgia. Every child deserves access to the tools for a 21st century education, and every community should have the tools to recruit new industries and create good paying jobs.