Echols eager to continue work on Georgia PSC
Incumbent says he's 'living my dream' by helping people every day
ATLANTA – Tim Echols wants the opportunity to continue to help people as a member of the Georgia Public Service Commission.
“Since college, I have wanted to be a statewide elected official, so I am literally living my dream,” said Echols, the Republican incumbent in the District 2 race. “Besides doing all the planning for our power and gas needs for the future, I get to help a lot of people every day.”
Echols is running against Democratic challenger Dr. Alicia Johnson in the District 2 race, which is voted on statewide. The election is November 4, and early voting runs from October 14 to October 31.
He was first elected to the PSC in 2010 and re-elected in 2016. He was scheduled to be up for election in 2022, but a legal challenge to Georgia’s statewide voting system put that election on hold and allowed some PSC commissioners to serve longer than their normal six-year terms. The winner of this election will serve until 2030.
The PSC regulates utilities. Its biggest job is deciding how much many Georgians pay for electricity with Georgia Power.
Echols, who lives in Hoschton, said he is a supporter of nuclear energy, solar power and electric vehicles, and he said he’s proud of the work he and the PSC have done since he was first elected.
“Authoring the motion to keep Plant Vogtle going, and eventually seeing that through to completion is my proudest moment,” he said. “Helping usher in utility-scale solar that is not subsidized is a close second.”
Echols, who has three degrees from the University of Georgia, has plans for his next term if he’s reelected.
“Keeping data centers in check will be important, and not letting their costs fall back on existing ratepayers,” he said. “Building more nuclear energy has to be a part of the plan for Georgia, too.”
He also wants to keep moving Georgia forward.
Since Echols joined the PSC, Georgia has moved from 34th in the nation in solar power to seventh. A group called Conservatives for Clean Power called Echols “the solar architect of Georgia.” He believes carbon-free nuclear power plus solar is the way forward.
“Seeing my opponents outline a course of action that will make us more like California is very concerning,” Echols said. “Georgia must maintain a high reserve margin and any cost-saving efforts that jeopardizes our reserve margin would be devastating for our state.”
Echols and the other PSC members agreed to freeze Georgia Power rates for customers through 2028 because of rising fuel prices, costs associated with the Plant Vogtle nuclear construction project and infrastructure improvements.
Echols also said experience matters.
“My opponent has zero experience in the energy world, so there would be quite a learning curve for her,” he said. “She has voiced an interest in doing what I call social experiments with our grid, and all of her plans will impact reliability.
“If you are a Democrat in Georgia, you must ask yourself why just about every Union operating in Georgia has endorsed and supported me. Add to that my leadership in EVs and solar, and you can see why the Democrats could not find a strong candidate to run against me.”
On her campaign website, Johnson has suggested Echols “quietly extended his term well beyond its intended limit.”
“What extended my term is a lawsuit by the NAACP seeking to change state law and require commissioners to run by district-only, rather than statewide,” Echols said. “The PSC had nothing to do with the case as it was brought against the Secretary of State of Georgia.”
Johnson also has criticized the PSC for a lack of transparency, but Echols disagrees.
“Every PSC docket is transcribed and allows for public comment, so we are very transparent,” Echols said. “My opponent will create subsidies for low-income ratepayers, forgive their past debts and make other ratepayers foot the bill.”
Johnson also suggests the PSC has caused Georgians to pay billions extra “for dirty, outdated energy.”
Again, Echols disagrees.
“No elected official in Georgia has pushed for solar more than me, and I have done this since the day I arrived at the PSC in 2011,” he said. “Google my name and solar and you’ll be reading hundreds of articles about clean energy. …
“My opponent hasn’t ever been involved in PSC activities, so she hasn’t seen me get in the grill of the power company and take them to task. Nobody owns me but God, and I challenge anyone to find evidence to show I am not independent in my actions at the PSC.”