Media advisory [Jan. 15, 1997]

-, MEDIA ADVISORY . GEORGIA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

FOR 1Ml\1EDIATE RELEASE January 15, 1997

CONTACT: Shawn Davis Public Relations Specialist (404) 656-6558 or 1-800-282-5813

COMMISSIONER STAN WISE ASSUMES CHAIRMANSHIP OF PSC

ATLANTA - Commissioner Stan Wise assumes the chairmanship of the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) today, January 15, 1997. As Chairman, Wise will spearhead the PSC's efforts this year to facilitate true competition in the gas industry to benefit all res:dential and business customers.

Commissioner Wise is a member of the House and Senate Natural Gas Study Committees formed lasl fall to study a safe, reliable transition to competition. Wise helped to shape the final report issued by the committees last December which the General Assembly will consider in drafting legislation this session.

As Chairman, Wise will expand upon the Commission's evolving role as a facilitator of competition. 'The role of this Commission continues to change. As we move towards facilitating competition and away from simply regulating rates, the PSC must continue to be proactive in its efforts and flexible to participants in the competitive market place," said Wise. The PSC Chairman serves as the C.E.O. issuing notices of hearings and presiding over all meetings.

Outgoing Chairman Dave Baker is credited with advancing telecommunications competition. An active member of a nationwide committee on communications, Baker worked with Congress and the FCC to ensure that competition becomes a reality in Georgia. A frequent speaker on telecommunications topics, Baker was just named by Georgia Trend magazine as one of 75 Georgians Who Were Leaders in Their Fields for 1996.

The PSC regulates the rates charged and services provided by most intrastate telecommunications, gas and electric utilities operating in Georgia and ensures compliance with truck and pipeline safety regulations. The agency plays an important role in balancing Georgia's economy by ensuring that consumers receive adequate, reliable utility services at reasonable rates, while providing utilities with an opportunity to earn a reasonable return for investors. The five Commissioners of the PSC are elected statewide and serve staggered six-year terms. On an annual basis, the chair of the Commission rotates based on seniority.

Elected to the PSC in 1994, Stan Wise is a graduate of Charleston Southern University earning a B.S. in business. He is a former Cobb County Commissioner (1990-1992) and has owned his own insurance business for over twenty years. Stan served as a Board Member on the Atlanta Regional Commission, a ten county planning agency for the Atlanta Region, from 1992-1994. He also served on the Cobb County Planning Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals.

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'\t:.CEIVELJ JAN 16 1997
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