The Georgia Public Service Commission will hold the third and final round of hearings on Wednesday at 9 a.m. on the Georgia Power Company rate increase request. The hearings will continue on Thursday if needed and Friday if needed. 

 

All hearings will begin at 9 a.m. except the Dec. 2 session which, if needed, will begin at 1:30 p.m. All meetings will take place in Room 110 at 244 Washington Street, S.W., Atlanta.

 

On Wednesday, the PSC first will receive public comments on the Georgia Power proposal. Immediately following public comments, the commission will conduct hearings on the company’s rebuttal testimony. Included in the company’s Nov. 19 rebuttal testimony filing is a proposal to settle the

rate case. The proposed settlement has been signed by the company, the Commission Public Interest Advocacy Staff and the Commercial Group.

 

Other parties in the case may or may not sign the proposal. The proposed settlement is only a proposal which requires commission discussion and action.

 

Georgia Power filed a request on July 1 with the PSC to increase its base rates. According to the company’s original filing, it is requesting an increase in its retail rates of $1.2 billion over three years. 

 

This request, if approved, would be approximately a $10.88 increase for the average residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month. The commission decided the last Georgia Power rate request on Dec. 18, 2007 in Docket 25060. Any change in rates would take effect Jan. 1, 2011.

Georgia law requires the commission to issue a decision on any new proposed rates within 180 days of the company’s filing. 

 

The remaining schedule for this proceeding is:

 

• Dec. 16: Advisory Staff issues recommendation at Energy Committee 

 

• Dec. 21: The commission issues its decision.