Listen to the Climate Scientists!

There is overwhelming evidence that the elected leaders in our state are not listening to climate scientists and therefore fail to grasp the urgency of the climate crisis or their pivotal role in addressing it.

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Let's focus right now on our 5 Georgia Public Service Commissioners. The most obvious indicator that they are not listening to climate scientists is their silence on the issues. You won’t find the terms “climate change” or “climate emergency” on their websites or in their public remarks, whether during interviews or at PSC hearings. While one Commissioner does highlight “clean energy” on his website and has a personal history of limiting his carbon footprint and encouraging others to do the same, he still avoids discussing the climate emergency. His actions reveal a lack of understanding of the urgency of this moment: in an opinion piece for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he supported Trump’s 2017 decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement and he recently voted in favor of Georgia Power’s plan to significantly expand fossil fuel infrastructure.

 

 

Another indicator of their lack of awareness or attention to the climate emergency and how the global community must respond and is impacted by it, are some of the Commissioners’ interactions with public commenters and intervenors who raise climate concerns:

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• During an 20IRP hearing, after a parent expressed worry about the PSC’s failure to limit Georgia Power’s fossil fuel emissions, a Commissioner suggested that her advocacy might be better directed at China, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases. This response ignored the critical context: the U.S. remains the largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases and is still one of the highest emitters per capita, producing 13.83 tons per person annually compared to China’s 9.24 tons. Carbon dioxide lingers in the atmosphere for hundreds of years, and the U.S.’s cumulative emissions have had—and continue to have—the greatest global impact on warming.

 

• During a January 2024 IRP hearing, a Commissioner questioned some of the students making public comments, asking if they had been paid to attend. While the question may have been politely asked, it revealed a disturbing misunderstanding of the students’ motivations. These young people spoke out because they are deeply worried about the climate crisis and understand that the PSC has the authority to drive meaningful change in Georgia. Their concerns reflect global trends: a recent poll found that 84% of youth worldwide are at least moderately worried about the climate crisis, with 45% reporting that their climate anxiety negatively affects their daily lives.

 

• Another Commissioner has repeatedly deflected public commenters’ concerns about climate change by asking them about their personal, their city’s, or their employer’s carbon footprints. For example, he asked one student why more young people don’t drive electric cars. This kind of pivot is not only inappropriate during hearings meant to focus on the PSC’s critical decisions, but also troubling, as it shifts the focus away from systemic changes that the Commissioners have the power to enact. The worldwide community is clear that rapid, systemic changes are the only hope for preventing greater climate catastrophes. 

 

• Finally, one Commissioner voted against Georgia Power’s 2024 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) for a massive fossil fuel expansion—not because he opposed fossil fuels, but because he wanted to wait for the results of the 2024 national elections. He explained that, depending upon who was elected and their energy positions, such investments might be more or less cost-effective. This rationale ignores the long-term consequences of committing to fossil fuel infrastructure with lifespans of 35+ years, especially in a time when public awareness of climate change is growing. Escalating extreme weather events are likely to drive more voters to support candidates committed to clean energy policies in future elections, making such short-term political calculations shortsighted at best.

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The silence, deflection, and political maneuvering by Georgia’s Public Service Commissioners demonstrate an alarming disconnect from the urgency of the climate crisis and their responsibility to act. They are not only failing to lead but are actively delaying the transition to clean energy at a time when swift and decisive action is critical.