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Georgia Power's Secrecy Practices Challenged by Regulators and Advocates

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A regulatory hearing has focused attention on Georgia Power's practice of redacting large portions of its filings to the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC), claiming the information is confidential and proprietary. The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), on behalf of two clean energy groups, challenged this practice, arguing that it makes it impossible to communicate publicly about essential topics in the regulatory process.

Key Takeaways:

  • The SELC and the clean energy groups sought to compel Georgia Power to release information related to its 2025 long-range energy road map, including cost estimates for its current grid expansion and the contribution of large load customers to forecasts.
  • Georgia Power argued that the requested information is trade secret, and that making it public could put the company at an economic disadvantage.
  • The SELC attorneys argued that Georgia Power had not proven that the withheld data qualifies as trade secret, and that the company's claims of competitive harm are purely hypothetical.
  • Commissioner Tricia Pridemore took issue with a line of questioning from SELC's Jennifer Whitfield, calling it "appalling" and directing a motion to reject the challenge.
  • The commission ultimately rejected the challenge, but directed PSC staff to recommend what information they would like publicly revealed in future cases.
  • Commissioners indicated that they might reevaluate transparency rules and the use of trade secret labels in the future.

Statistics:

  • Georgia Power redacted over 70% of its filings to the PSC in the case over its 2025 long-range energy road map.
  • The SELC argued that the company's claims of competitive harm are based on hypothetical scenarios, rather than actual evidence.
  • Commissioner Pridemore's motion was supported by 2 other commissioners, while 1 commissioner voted against it.

Sources:

  • "Georgia Power's secrecy practices challenged by regulators and advocates" [_AJC_, Drew Kann, Drew.kann@ajc.com ]

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