GPSC news, Vol. 8, no. 4 (Fall 2008)

GPSC
GPSC News

Volume 7 Issue 4

Commission Begins

*Public witnesses speak

*Nuclear Power Certification *More hearings set for

Nuclear Power Hearings

January 12-16, 2009, February 9-13, 2009
*Decision March 17, 2009

M ore than 40 citizens

expressed

their

Fall 2008

opinions as the Commis-

In this issue

Legislative Update

2

sion November 3 opened its review of the Georgia 2 Power Company filing

seeking Commission certi-

Speir Criticizes Hot 2 2 fication of two new nu-

Weather Rule Change

clear power generation

units at Plant Vogtle in

Commission Approves 3 Revised Green Energy Program

Commissioners Attend Bonbright Conference 3

Commission Approves 4 Transfer of Catalyst Customers

Do Not Call Registration

Passes 5 Million

5

3

southeast (Docket 27800)

Georgia. for hearings is as follows:

tegrated Resource Plan

The public filled the hear- January 12-16, 2009 (IRP), which the Com-

ing room to capacity as Staff and intervenor testi- mission approved on

3 the speakers spoke both mony

June 16, 2007, stated

for and against the Com- February 9-13, 2009 that Georgia would need

pany's proposal.

Company rebuttal

an additional 1,100

4

Starting Georgia

November 5, Power witnesses

March 17, 2009 mission decision.

ComThe Ad-

Megawatts of baseload electric

new power

presented the Company's vocacy Staff will file its generation in the 2016

case. Those hearings fin- testimony on December and 2017 timeframe to

5 ished on November 6.

19.

meet the state's grow-

The remaining schedule Georgia Power's 2007 In-

(Continued on page 3)

Wise Attends RNC

5

Commission Urges Consumers to Get Ready for Winter Heating Season 6

Employee News

7

State Holidays

8

Commission Calendar 8

5 Commission Decides Atmos Rate

Case

6

T6 he Commission Sep- tomer's bill.

followed three rounds of

tember 17 voted 3-2 Details of the rate case hearings in Atlanta and

to decrease the Atmos En- decision include: I n - Gainesville to receive

7erargtey

Company request by

(Atmos) $2.7 mil-

crease in month residential customer charge from

testimony and in this docket.

evidence

lion. (Docket Number $7.00 to $10.50;Total in- Atmos Energy serves

27163) The Company had crease in rates of $3.4 about 65,000 customers

8sought an annual revenue million; Return on equity i n C ol u mb u s a n d increase of $6.1 million set at 10.7%; Increase in Gainesville.

which would have resulted income level for senior

in an estimated monthly ci ti z en di sc o u n t to 8increase of $4.71 on the $14,355 annually.

average residential cus- The Commission decision

PAGE 2

GPSC NEWS

VOLUME 7 ISSUE 4

State Legislative Update

The Commission's budget presentation to Governor

Sonny Perdue is set for Monday

November 24, 2008. Since Au-

gust, state agencies have been

operating under a six percent

cut in their budget allotments.

The Governor's Office of Plan-

ning and Budget also instructed all agencies to submit three separate budget scenarios for

Chairman Eaton speaks to the Senate Budget Committee

the 2009 Amended Budget and the 2010 Fiscal Year budget. The Commission also made a presThe Commission made its first entation October 22 to the House
budget presentation to the Telecommunications Competition
Senate Economic Development Review Study Committee. Shaun Budget Subcommittee on Octo- Rosemond advised the committee

ber 6, 2008. Commissioner Chuck Eaton presented the Commission's budget submission.

If you have a story for the next GPSC News, please send to Bill Edge, bille@psc.state.ga.us. Next issue deadline is January 15, 2009.

of the current status of intrastate access charges compared
to interstate access charges. The Committee is scheduled to hold one more meeting before the start of the next legislative session.

2008 Election Results for PSC

PSC District 1

Everett R 66.7%

Monds-L

33.3%

PSC District 4

McDonald-R 47.3%

Powell-D

47.7%

Givens-L

4.9%

Runoff will be held December 2

Speir Criticizes Action on Hot Weather Rule

I n a 3 to 2 decision, the Commission voted October 21 to

as amended today fails to

remove a provision from a pro-

protect those

posed rule that would have ex-

who most

tended a ban on disconnections

need protec-

during extreme heat to two days

tion: the eld-

following the date a National

erly, sick and

Weather Service Heat Advisory

the

very

or Excessive Heat Warning was

young." Spe-

in effect. "Unfortunately," Com-

cifically,

missioner Angela Elizabeth Commissioner Speir notes that

Speir said, "the proposed rule studies by the Centers for Disease

Control and the Environmental Protection Agency show that
people can die even with a heat index of only 105 degrees and that most deaths and serious illness caused by extreme heat typically lag a few days behind the spike in temperatures.
"In August of 2007, I proposed that the Commission initiate a proceeding to increase the protections for Georgia consum-

ers. The amended rule, however, threatening issue."

Commissioner Speir is serving

does not increase the protec- The Commission first approved an her first six-year term on the

tions. If anything, it is a step order on September 4, 2007 re- Commission. In 2005 she was

backwards. More people in this quiring Georgia Power Company the first woman to serve as

country die each year from ex- to file an inclusion in its tariff pro- Commission Chairman.

cess heat than from tornadoes, viding for a ban on disconnections

floods, hurricanes and lightning if at 8 a.m. on the scheduled dis-

combined. And the real tragedy connection day, the forecasted

is that most heat related deaths high temperature for the day is 98

are avoidable. I believe some of degrees or higher or the heat in-

my colleagues have turned a dex for the day is forecasted to be

blind eye to a very real and life 110 degrees or higher.

VOLUME 7 ISSUE 4

GPSC NEWS

PAGE 3

Commission Approves Revised Green Energy Program and Cobb 3-1-1 Assignment

The Commission September 15 unanimously approved changes in Georgia Power's Green Energy program that will result in lower rates for consumers purchasing Green Energy
blocks and also offer a Large Volume Purchase and Special Events option. (Docket Number 16573) The new tariff will allow consumers to purchase 100 Kilowatt
blocks of Green Energy for $3.50, a reduction of $1 from the previous tariff. The Large Volume Purchase will allow customers who purchase at least 400 blocks under the

standard Green Energy offering to contract with Georgia Power for additional renewable energy at a reduced price. Georgia Power will contract individually with each customer to deter-
mine the price, quantity, term and source of the additional green energy. Under the Commission approved proposal, the modified Green Energy product will be all bio-
mass, primarily from the Seminole Landfill in DeKalb County,
and will contain no solar or wind en-

ergy at this time. However, Georgia Power will offer a Premium Green Energy Product at $4.50 per block which receives at least two percent of its energy from solar resources.
In other action, the Commission approved the assignment of 31-1 to the Cobb County Government to allow its citizens get the latest information on their county government and to re-
port non-emergency situations. According to the County's filing, this new dialing assignment will serve about 700,000 Cobb County citizens when the service begins February 1, 2009.

Commissioners Present at Bonbright Conference

C om m i ssi on e rs C h u c k bright Conference on ElecEaton and Stan Wise tric and Natural Gas in At-

participated in panel discus- lanta.

sions at the 2008 Annual Bon- Commissioner Stan Wise

said as far as resource

planning decisions are

concerned, the key is

diversity and that the

next generation of nuclear is facilities for granted and need to

vital to the state.

be educated on the costs of en-

Commissioner Eaton said ergy production.

consumers take their utility

Commission Opens Nuclear Review

(Continued from page 1)

from both self build generation

ing energy needs. Under state and third party bids.

law, new power generation can-

not be added to the system

without a Certificate of Public

Convenience and Necessity is- (right) Billy Harper, former

sued by this Commission.

Burke County Commissioner,

Georgia Power issued a request speaks to the Commission dur-

for proposal (RFP) in late 2006, ing the Vogtle Certification hear-

seeking baseload generation ing November 3.

PAGE 4

GPSC NEWS

VOLUME 7 ISSUE 4

Commission Approves Catalyst Customer Transfer

Commission Greets International Visitors
from Russia

T C he Commission October 6 conditionally approved a re-

ommissioner Stan Wise ships in the field of energy efgreeted 10 Russian energy ficiency;

quest by Catalyst Energy, LLC officials during their visit here on Wise said, "I am pleased that

("Catalyst") to transfer its custom- November 4.

the Commission can pass on

ers to MX Energy, another Georgia Their visit had 3 purposes:

its expertise and knowledge to

gas marketer.

1. Learn about U.S. expertise and our friends from the Russian

The Federal Bankruptcy Court in experience in energy efficiency; Republic."

Atlanta approved the transfer on 2. Become famil-

Staff member Pandora Epps

October 8.

iar with the best

also took part in the briefing.

Under the terms of the transfer practices of en-

Three interpreters accompa-

agreement, MX Energy will honor ergy efficiency

nied the Russians on their U.S.

the fixed rate contracts of Cata- policy in the

travels. They have already

lyst's customers and will send U.S.;

traveled to Utah, Wyoming,

each of the customers written no- 3. Receive exam-

Washington, D.C. and New

tification of the transfer.

ples of public-

York.

private partner-

Hot Weather Rule Sent Out for More Comment

The Commission October 21 16, 2008 Administrative Session. amended a proposed rule Under the proposed rule as
prohibiting hot weather disconnec- amended, residential electric sertions under certain conditions. vice could not be disconnected if, This vote triggers a new round of prior to 8:00 a.m. on the date of comments under the Administra- the scheduled disconnection, a tive Procedures Act. Under the National Weather Service Heat APA, interested parties will have Advisory or Excessive Heat Warn-
30 days to comment on the ing is in effect for the county of amended proposal and the Com- the scheduled disconnection. mission will consider adoption of The Commission opened a docket the proposed rule at its December on hot weather disconnections in

August 2007 at the urging of Commissioner Angela Speir. The Commission has had in place since 1979 rules prohibiting disconnections of residential electric service between November 15 and March 15 when the forecasted low temperature for a 24 hour period beginning at 8:00 A.M. on the date of the proposed disconnection is below 32 de-
(Continued on page 5)

Ukrainian Mayors Visit
Commission
S even Ukrainian mayors visited the Commission October 22 to learn more about utility regulation. Commissioners Chuck Eaton and Robert Baker spoke to the visitors along with staff members Pandora Epps and Cynthia Johnson. The group's visit was arranged by the G-16 Global Alliance Network.

VOLUME 7 ISSUE 4

GPSC NEWS

PAGE 5

Georgia Do Not Call
Registration Passes Five
Million Mark
The number of Georgians cell phone and landline teleregistered on the Do Not phone numbers with the Federal Call List passed the five million Do Not Call Registry. In doing mark on August 1, 2008. More so, their numbers are automatithan 5.1 million telephone cally included in the Georgia Do phone numbers have been Not Call List. The telephone registered with the Georgia Do numbers remain on the Registry Not Call list. Since 1999, when until service is disconnected. the Do Not Call List was estab- There is no cost to enroll your lished, Georgians have re- telephone numbers. Telemarsponded overwhelmingly that keters are required to scrub they do not wish to have their their telemarketing lists against evening meals or their daily the Federal Do Not Call Registry routines interrupted by un- every 31 days. wanted telemarketers. Georgians may register their

Wise Attends Republican
National Convention
C ommissioner Stan Wise got an personal glimpse into the national political scene as a delegate to the Republican National Convention in MinneapolisSt. Paul, Minnesota, September 26.

Lifeline/Link-Up Enrollment Increases 34

Percent

T he Commission reports a 34 perienced since their inception munity Health) along with a

percent increase in the num- more than 15 years ago.

strong outreach effort to get

ber of telephone subscribers to The increase is primarily attrib- the word out about these valu-

the Lifeline/Link-Up Georgia Pro- utable to partnering with other able programs.

gram over the last twelve month state agencies (the Division of Lifeline provides a monthly

period. As of June 30, 2008 there Family and Children's Services, credit of up to $10 off residen-

were 99,665 Lifeline/Link-Up sub- which administers the Georgia tial monthly local service tele-

scribers. This is the biggest in- Food Stamp Program and the phone bill (AT&T gives a

crease these programs have ex- Georgia Department of Com- $13.50 monthly credit); while,

Link-Up assists with paying up to Assistance, or Low-Income Revised Hot Weather

50% of installation costs, not to ex- Home Energy Assistance Proceed $30 (AT&T pays 100% of in- gram. stallation costs).

Rule Sent Out for Comment

In order to qualify for these pro-

grams, applicants must be a participant in any one of the following

(Continued from page 4)
grees. Commission rules also

programs: Temporary Assistance

specify under what conditions

to Needy Families (TNAF), Food Stamps, senior citizens discount from power or gas company, SSI,

residential electric service can be disconnected, such as nonpayment of bills.

Medicaid, Federal Public Housing

PAGE 6

GPSC NEWS

VOLUME 7 ISSUE 4

Commission Urges Consumers to Get Ready for Winter Heating Season

H eating homes and busi- options. He also advises consum- age seen from 1971 to 2000. An nesses this winter is likely ers who might qualify for heating especially cold winter would hit

to cost more as a result of assistance programs to begin household budgets even harder.

higher natural gas prices,

preparing for the application A number of factors have contrib-

C o m m i s s i o n C h a i r m a n process now.

uted to the increase in natural gas

Chuck Eaton said, "Despite Homeowners with natural gas, prices which are driven by supply

recent decreases in prices, it the most popular heating source and demand. Natural gas prices

appears likely that natural gas in the United States, will pay have been moving higher since

costs this winter will be higher $1,059 on average to heat their 2003 with most of the increase

than the last two years. Con- homes this winter, a 23.8% in- due to rising demand that has

sumers should begin preparing crease, according to the early strained the ability of producers to

for the winter heating season forecast by the Energy Informa- keep pace. The Commission does

now by taking some simple tion Administration, the statisti- not regulate the

steps. Weatherizing your home cal arm of the U.S. Department price of natural

can make a big difference when of Energy. The EIA's projections gas. Natural gas

cold weather arrives."

are based on government mete- marketers in the

Eaton also urged consumers to orologists' expectations for a Atlanta Gas Light

look into budget billing plans winter that is colder than last d e l i v e r y a r e a

and compare marketer pricing year but warmer than the aver- which serves 1.5

million customers are allowed to set prices according to market conditions. Natural gas prices charged by marketers can change on a monthly basis. Atmos Energy which serves customers in Columbus and Gainesville is allowed to recover the cost of natural gas on a dollar for dollar basis.
CONSUMER FACTS Georgia consumers can take a number of steps to reduce the

impact of higher natural gas costs. They include:
Budget Billing: Consumers who are on a budget, retired or on a fixed income may find budget billing to be an attractive payment option. It allows consumers to make levelized monthly payments on their bills, and is available whether consumers have fixed or variable rate plans. Budget billing can help consumers avoid the spikes in their winter heating bills.

Energy Conservation: Conser-
vation is vital to any plan of action to lower one's monthly utility bill. Purchasing energy-efficient equipment such as a furnace, hot water heater and/or stove, caulking around doors and win-
dows, insulating walls, floors and the attic, are some things consumers can do to lower their winter heating bills. Of course, if the consumer's equipment is working properly, be sure to have these inspected by a pro-

fessional to insure operation at maximum efficiency.
Weatherization: Weatherization assistance for low-income families is available in Georgia. This assistance is offered through a program administered by the Georgia Environmental Facilities Agency. For information on weatherization assistance go to: http://

www.gefa.ga.gov/

sumers may also be eligible for

assistance through other pro-

Low Income Assistance: Low grams sponsored by their local

income consumers may qualify for utilities or social service agen-

assistance with their heating bills cies. Information about LIHEAP

through the Low-Income Home i s a v a i l a b l e a t h t t p : / /

Energy Assistance Program www.dhr.ga.gov/

(LIHEAP). It is administered by

the Georgia Department of Hu-

man Resources who distribute this

federal grant money through local

community action agencies. Con-

VOLUME 7 ISSUE 4

GPSC NEWS

PAGE 7

Employee News

New Employees

Sympathy

W elcome to the following ployee:

new Commission em-

Steve Roetger

O ur sympathy goes to Bruce Morgan on the passing of his

Analyst Internal Consultants father, Clifford Eugene Morgan on

Steve worked in corporate travel July 22. Funeral Services were held

management, banking, interna- in Sparta on July 24.

tional food distribution, and en- The father of former

tertainment prior to joining the Commission employee

Commission on September 2. John Cogburn passed

He and his wife live in Decatur away October 14. John

and have a three year old son. now works for AGL Re-

Steve spends his spare time sources.

renovating his home.

Farewell

Lillian Johnson retired from the Commission September 30, 2008 after 34 years of service
with the state. Lillian worked as an analyst in the Telecommunications Unit and had worked at the Commission for 30 years.

Farewell

Congratulations

Bob Ginn retired August 27, Transportation cases. Friends, co- Congratulations to Catelyn

2008 after 34 years of service workers and family members gave McAlister and Jan Harkins

with

the

Commission. Bob started at the Commission in 1974 in the

Bob a big send off into retirement during a celebration here at the Commission.

as their high school volleyball team won a state championship on October 25. Executive Secretary Reece

Transportation

McAlister is the proud fa-

Unit as a

ther.

hearing offi-

Catelyn and Jan play for the

cer. He fin-

Bible Baptist Christian

ished his ca-

School which captured the

reer here as a

Georgia Association of Chris-

hearing officer

tian Schools State Volleyball

for GUPFA and

Championship.

once again

PAGE 8

GPSC NEWS

Commission News

Georgia State Holidays For 2008

VOLUME 7 ISSUE 4
Commission Calendar

New Year's Day Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Confederate Memorial Day Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Columbus Day Veterans Day Thanksgiving Robert E. Lee Birthday Christmas President's Day

January 1 January 21 April 28 May 26 July 4 September 1 October 13 November 11 November 27 November 28 December 25 December 26

November 3-Georgia Power hearing
4-Administrative Session 5-7-Georgia Power hearing 11-Veteran's Day Holiday 13-Committees 18-Administrative Session 26-Committees
27-28-Holiday December 2-Administrative Session 2-3 Georgia Power hearing 11-Committees

Commission Calendar

16-Administrative Session 25-26-Holiday
31-Committees January 2009 1-New Years Eve 6-Administrative Session 12-16-Georgia Power hearing 15-Committees
20-Administrative Session 20-21 Georgia Power hearing 29-Commitees

NARUC Annual Convention 2008 November 16-19, 2008 New Orleans, LA
Winter Meeting 2009 February 15-18, 2009 Washington, D.C.
Summer Meeting 2009 July 19-22, 2009 Seattle, WA

SEARUC Annual Meeting 2009 June 21-24, 2009 Charleston, South Carolina
GPSC ONLINE:.psc.state.ga.us

The Public Information Office publishes GPSC
News for the Georgia Public Service Commission. Information for GPSC News should be sent to: Bill Edge, 244 Washington St. S.W., Atlanta, Ga. 30334. Discussion
of regulatory matters in this newsletter should not be construed as legal interpretations of orders or rules issued by the Commission.

COMMISSIONERS Chuck Eaton, Chairman
Robert B. Baker, Jr. H. Doug Everett
Angela Elizabeth Speir Stan Wise
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Deborah Flannagan
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY Reece McAlister