The PSC pulse, 2019 Winter

Georgia Public Service Commission

February 2019

The PSC Pulse
COMMISSION FACES BUSY AND CHALLENGING YEAR

The Georgia Public Service Commission will face an unprecedented number of major proceedings and rate cases in 2019, beginning with the filing of Georgia Power Company's Integrated Resource Plan on January 31, 2019. Both investor owned utilities, the Georgia Power Company and the Atlanta Gas Light Company, are expected to ask for increases in their base rates. The Commission will also continue to hold hearings on the Plant Vogtle Construction Monitoring Report and conduct hearings on the Atlanta Gas Light Company Capacity Supply Plan and Liberty Utilities' Gas Supply Plan. Liberty Utilities, which serves customers in Columbus and Gainesville, is expected to file a base rate in early 2020 but the preliminary work will begin in 2019. "Our staff will be pushed and our staff will be challenged," said Commission Chairman Lauren "Bubba" McDonald. "Our staff will be occupied with analyzing and reviewing these rate cases, supervising our outside consultants and preparing testimony for
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Commissioner Sworn into Office................ ..................2 2019 Legislative Opens ......3 Staff Participates in NARUC Exchange Program..............4 Holiday Luncheon and Faithful Service Awards....................5 Vehicles Surplused..............6 Farewell to Commissioner Everett..................................7 Commission Calendar.........8
SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST
Commission Faces Busy Year
Commissioners Take Oath of Office
Georgia General Assembly Opens for Business
Commission Staff Takes Part in NARUC Exchange Program
Plant Vogtle Hearing
Commission Holds Faithful Service Awards Luncheon

Page 1

YOUR PAY State Employee W-2s are now available on the Teamworks web site:
https:// hcm.teamworks.georgia
.gov/psp/empl/? cmd=login
ECHOLS ANNOUNCES 2019
CLEAN ENERGY ROADSHOW

COMMISSIONERS TAKE OATH OF OFFICE
Commissioners Chuck Eaton
and Tricia Pridemore took their ceremonial oaths of office during the January 14, 2019 Inaugural Ceremonies for Governor Brian Kemp. Commissioners Eaton and Pridemore and their families were on the official platform along with Commission Chairman McDonald, Vice-chairman Echols and Commissioner Shaw and their families.
COMMISSIONER SHAW SWORN IN

Commissioner Tim Echols will his 9th annual Clean Energy Roadshow this year, bringing his informative seminars on clean energy resources and alternative fuel vehicles across the state. This Roadshow tentative schedule is as follows: August 27-Atlanta August 28-Augusta September 24-Albany September 25-Macon October 8-Savannah October 16-Atlanta
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Governor Nathan Deal administers the Oath of Office to Commissioner Shaw as his wife, Katy ,and children Anne Harvey and Shelton look on.
Jason Shaw took part in his first Commission meeting on January 3, 2019 after his swearing in by Governor Nathan Deal. Deal appointed Shaw to fill the unexpired term of Doug Everett who retired as of December 31, 2018. Shaw is a native of Lanier County, Georgia in Commission District 1. Commissioner Shaw formerly represented Georgia House District 176 (Atkinson, Lanier, Lowndes and Ware counties) for four terms following his election in 2010 to the Georgia House of Representatives. In the House, he chaired the Legislative Rural Caucus and the House Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee.

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2019 GEORGIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY OPENS

COMMISSION CASE SCHEDULE
FOR 2019

The 155th session of the Georgia General Assembly convened on Monday January 14, 2019 with a new Governor, new Lieutenant Governor and 40 freshmen in the House and Senate. The session, as prescribed by the State Constitution, lasts 40 days. This year's session is expected to last through March and probably into April. Among the top issues will be the state's Fiscal Year 2019 Amended Budget, the Fiscal Year 2020 Budget, along with rural broadband, rural health care and education. Guiding the House will be Speaker David Ralston and Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones while Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan presides over the Senate along with President Pro Tem Senator Butch Miller of Gainesville. In his first State of the State Address to a Joint Session of the Legislature, Governor Brian Kemp proposed a $3,000 salary increase for teachers and a two percent merit increase for state employees in the state's Fiscal Year 2020 Budget.
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the hearings. Our small staff of utility analysts and engineers as well as support will be incredibly busy." The anticipated cases are as follows: Georgia Power Company Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). The Company is expected to file its forecast for the Company's projected energy resources needed to serve its customers for the next three years. Once the Commission determines the fee as allowed by statute (O.C.G.A. 46-3A-2(c)) the Commission has 120 days to render a decision. Georgia Power rate case. The Company is expected to file its request for a change in its base rates on July 1, 2019. State law requires the Commission to issue a decision within six months. Georgia Power base rates have been frozen since 2014.
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April
Integrated Resource Plan (IRP)-April 8-10
May 20th Vogtle Construction
Monitoring (VCM) Plan
May 8-IRP May 13-16
June IRP- June 11-12 VCM-June 27
August 20th VCM-August 1
September AGL Rate Case-September
10-12 Liberty Utilities Gas Sup-
ply Plan-September 17 AGL Capacity Supply Plan
-September 18 AGL Capacity Supply and
Liberty Gas Plan, Special Administrative Session-September 26 Georgia Power (GPC) Rate Case-September 30
October GPC Rate Case-October 1-
2 AGL Rate Case-October 23
-24
November GPC Rate Case-November
4-6 21st VCM-November 12-13 AGL Rate Case-November
21-22 GPC Rate Case-November
25-26
December 21st VCM-December 11-12

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UTILITY STAFF MEMBER SELECTED
FOR NARUC INTERNATIONAL
PROGRAM

COMMISSION PIO PARTICIPATES IN PARTNERSHIP EXCHANGE WITH BANGLADESH ENERGY
REGULATORY COMMISSION

Utility Analyst Rob Trokey, w ho is cu r rently working in the Electric Unit, has been selected by NARUC to participate in the International Peer Review on Ancillary Services, Direct PPAs and Smart Grids March 10-15, 2019 in Hanoi, Vietnam.
For more information check out the website:
Www.Cleanenergyroads how.com

PIO Bill Edge (third from left) with Bangladesh partners and members of the NARUC delegation in Jakarta, Indonesia
Commission Public Information Officer Bill Edge took part in the NARUC sponsored Partnership Exchange with the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission in Jakarta, Indonesia October 2225, 2018. The participants briefed the Bangladesh participants on Public Communications and Stakeholder Engagement, which included how Commissions engage stakeholders using the internet and communicate rate cases and Commission activities using all forms of communications. The Partnership is sponsored by NARUC and funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

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COMMISSION HOLDS ROUND TWO OF VOGTLE 19 HEARINGS
The Public Interest Advocate Staff presented their direct testimony on December 18, 2018 in round two of the 19th Vogtle Construction Monitoring Report. Staff witnesses Steve Roetger, Bill Jacobs, Shemetha Jones, Phil Hayet, Cary Cook, Donald Grace and Leah Wellborn testified in support of staff's filed testimony. The Commission is scheduled to issue its decision on February 19, 2019.

COMMISSION CELEBRATES HOLIDAYS AND PRESENTS FAITHFUL SERVICE AWARDS

CONSUMER AFFAIRS MANAGER MAKES PRESENTATION AT ANNUAL
HEAT MEETING

Everyone enjoyed a wonderful meal following the Faithful Service Award Presentations

The Commission celebrated the holiday season and honored its long time employees on December 13, 2018 at its annual Holiday and Faithful Service Awards Luncheon. Commissioners delivered remarks and supervisors handed out the awards. Chairman McDonald and Commission Pridemore delivered greetings by video recording while Commissioner Chuck Eaton was the Master of Ceremonies. Former Commissioner Stan Wise came back to bring us his delicious turkey. Then all joined in for a wonderful and sumptuous luncheon to cap off
the celebration. Those employees receiving the Faithful Service Awards were: Ten Years: Will Culbreath, David Lewis, Steven Roetger. Fifteen Years: Tonika Starks Twenty Years: Jada Brock, Nancy Gibson, Ann McCullough Twenty-five Years: Sheree Kernizan, Dorothy Buckner, Nancy Tyer, Jamie Barber
Former Commissioner Stan Wise (left) and Consumer Affairs Representative Lisa Jensen make last minute checks of the lunch spread

PSC Consumer Affairs Manager Claudette Willingham (above) gave a presentation on how the Commission functions and can assist consumers during the annual meeting of H.E.A.T. on November 7, 2018. H.E.A.T. stands for Heat Energy Assistance Team and is funded through check off contributions on their natural gas bills through the natural gas marketers, Liberty Utilities and the municipal gas systems. Atlanta Gas Light Company President Brian Batson presented a check for $100,000 to be used for heating assistance for this winter season.

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STATE HOLIDAYS 2019

COMMISSION SENDS OLDER VEHICLES TO SURPLUS

January 1-New Year's Day January 19-State Holiday-(will be observed on Friday, November 29) January 21-Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday February 18-Washington's Birthday (will be observed on Tuesday, December 24) April 22-State Holiday May 27-Memorial Day July 4-Independence Day September 2-Labor Day October 14-Columbus Day November 11-Veterans Day November 28-Thanksgiving Day December 25-Christmas Day
OTHER DATES TO REMEMBER
February 14-Valentine's Day March 6-Ash Wednesday March 10-Daylight Saving Times begins April 14-Palm Sunday April 19-Good Friday April 21-Easter Sunday June 6-D-Day June 14-Flag Day September 11-Patriots' Day October 31-Halloween November 1-All Saints Day November3-Daylight Saving Time ends December 7-Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

In Fiscal Year 2018, the Facilities Protection Unit purchased and received 12 new vehicles for the Pipeline Safety Inspectors. These vehicles replaced twelve existing vehicles that were sent to surplus. The surplus vehicles included six 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe's, two 2010 Ford Crown Victoria's and four 2008 Chevrolet Impalas. All twelve vehicles were towed from the South Deck Parking to an auction yard. The new fleet is doing great and providing our staff with reliable transportation so they can travel throughout the state to perform their duties.
COMMISSION FACES BUSY YEAR
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Georgia Power Vogtle Construction Monitoring (VCM) Report. The Company is expected to file its 20th VCM Report on February 28, 2019. Atlanta Gas Light Company (AGLC) rate case. AGLC is expected to file a base rate case on August 1, 2019. AGLC has not filed a base rate case since 2010. Both the AGL Capacity Supply Plan and Liberties Utilities Gas Supply Plan. These are plans that detail how the utilities will ensure natural gas customers in Georgia have adequate supplies of natural gas to meet their needs. These cases will be heard in the fall of 2019. Liberty Utilities is expected to file a rate case on February 1, 2020.

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HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
20 YEARS Jeff Stair Attorney

NEW BEGINNINGS
Congratulations to Irma Ormeno who gave birth to a healthy 8
pounds 6 ounce baby boy. Santiago Ormeno was born on Saturday, January 12, 2019. Mother and baby are doing well.
FAREWELL
Phil Smith who retired from the Commission on March 31, 2018. Phil served as an Attorney and had been with the Commission since 1982.

5 YEARS Faith Henning
Executive Assistant
CONGRATULATIONS!

FAREWELL TO COMMISSIONER EVERETT

Chairman McDonald regales the group with his remembrances as Commissioner Everett
and wife Janice look on

Friends and Commissioners gathered to wish farewell to retiring Commissioner Doug Everett before his last Administrative Session on December 18, 2018. Everett retired from the Commission on December 31, 2018 after serving 16 years on the Commission. He and his wife Janice will live in Albany. Everett has been in public service for more than 40 years, serving on the Albany City Commission and three terms in the Georgia House of Representatives

PRIDEMORE SERVES ON KEMP
TRANSITION TEAM
Commissioner Tricia Pridemore served on Governor-elect Brian Kemp's transition team.

before being elected to the Commission in 2002. He won re-election in 2008 and 2014 by more than 60 percent of the vote. He was a past President of the Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. We wish Commissioner Everett and Janice all the best in retirement!

The gathering bids a fond farewell to Commissioner Everett and Janice

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COMMISSION CALENDAR

February 2019 5--Administrative Session 10-13--NARUC

March 2019 5--Administrative Session 10-Daylight Saving Time begins

April 2019 2--Administration Session 11-Committee Meetings

14--Committee Meetings

14--Committee Meetings

16-Administration Session

18--Washington's Birthday 19-Administrative Session 28-Committee Meetings

17 -- St. Patrick's Day 19-Administration Session 28-Committee Meetings

21-Easter 22-State Holiday May 2-Committee Meetings

HOLIDAYS COMING UP!

Monday, April 22

Monday, May 27

Thursday, July 4

Georgia Public Service Commission 244 Washington Street Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Phone: 404-651-4501 Fax: 404-656-2341 www.psc.state.ga.us
The Public Information Office publishes The PSC Pulse for the Georgia Public Service Commission. Information for The PSC Pulse should be sent to the attention of Bill Edge, Public Information Officer
Page 8

COMMISSIONERS
Lauren "Bubba" McDonald, Chairman Tim G. Echols, Vice Chair Chuck Eaton Tricia Pridemore Jason Shaw
Executive Director: Deborah Flannagan Executive Secretary: Reece McAlister