Alabamians Deserve Real Relief, Not Another Political Power Grab
Statement from Energy Alabama on SB 360
From Energy Alabama
Montgomery, AL — The “Power to the People Act” (SB 360) has a great name and a fatal flaw: buried inside it is a provision giving the Governor’s hand-picked Secretary of Energy the power to set the agenda for every PSC meeting and control commission personnel. In other words, a cabinet official answering to no one but the Governor can effectively overrule the people’s elected representatives. That’s not power to the people. That’s a backdoor takeover of utility regulation.
Alabamians don’t want Montgomery to rearrange the deck chairs on the sinking Titanic. They want real relief from record-high Alabama Power bills. SB 360 fails that test.
Earlier this session, tens of thousands of Alabamians spoke out to defend their right to elect members of the Public Service Commission. When HB 392 tried to strip that right away, the people of this state made themselves heard loud and clear: the PSC must answer to voters, not political insiders, and not the executive branch. SB 360 answers that demand with more appointments, not less.
If Montgomery is serious about lower electric bills, they should look to Rep. Mack Butler’s HB 475 which, as substituted, actually addresses the root causes of high energy costs by requiring mandatory rate reviews, capping nation leading utility profit margins, and prohibiting utilities from passing lobbying and advertising costs on to customers. All while keeping the power with voters.
For forty-four years, Alabama Power has operated virtually unchecked. The absence of real oversight and transparency is what is driving high electric bills in this state and SB 360 does not fix it. For too long, Alabama Power has shaped energy policy in Montgomery to its own benefit. This bill is the latest example of exactly that.
Energy Alabama will continue fighting for reforms that deliver fair and affordable electric rates, genuine transparency, and a Public Service Commission that is fully and unambiguously accountable to the voters of Alabama.
