Gentry On Why He’s Running, PSC Changes, Data Centers

Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry, who is currently running for Alabama Public Service Commission (PSC), Place 1 recently spoke with ALPolitics.com about the race, the upcoming expansion of the PSC, growing pushback against data centers, and how he views his role in a changing PSC.

We first asked Sheriff Gentry why he decided to run for the PSC.

Gentry began by saying, “In 2024, I announced I was going to retire from law enforcement. I've got 27 years in law enforcement, 12 years as the Sheriff. And I had a lot of citizens come to me, and they said; well, Sheriff, for the last three decades, you've either been a United States Marine, a Deputy or our Sheriff, and you've been in public service your entire career, and we don't want you to stop that.

“So I started looking at the Public Service Commission, and it was a position that no one knew anything about, and it reminded me of the way I was raised in Cullman County. My granddaddy was a farmer, raised sweet potatoes, cattle. My daddy is a forester by trade. He went to work for Drummond Coal company. When I looked at someone that regulates Alabama Power, trucking companies, railroads, natural gas, the Port of Mobile —as a Sheriff, I'm regulated to death, and I knew that was a position that I could come in and make a difference at.”

Alpolitics.com then asked about the elephant in the room — the expansion of the PSC and the creation of an Energy Secretary or Czar. When Gentry started this race, there were only three places on the PSC, but in July that will expand to seven. We asked Sheriff Gentry to comment on the process that the legislature went through with the several PSC bills before the expansion bill passed, and how he would, as one of seven commissioners, be able to influence the PSC going forward.

“So, when I announced, it was three Public Service Commissioners, and as we started this process, there's a couple things that happened,” Gentry said. “Number one, you had two sitting U.S. Senators that brought to attention the fact that we have the third highest power rates in the southeast — which, as we know, hurts recruitment and economic development. So they knew there was something that had to be addressed and something that had to change with the current Public Service Commission.

“I'm a Constitutional Sheriff. I've fought the Southern Poverty Law Center over cashless bail and won, and I was also the Sheriff that stood up for constitutional carry. I say that to say I'm always against taking away the voice of the people, and that's the reason I fought so hard against the first bill, and then they launched a second bill that made it from three appointed to seven positions, with four appointed in July, with a Secretary of Energy. And they do it by congressional districts. So by 2032 those congressional districts will be filled, and each candidate will run in those congressional districts.

“For me, knowing this change, my first priority is getting in to the Public Service Commission, building relationships and standing on the platform that we initially started running on, which is to bring change and transparency to the Public Service Commission. You do that by vote, the majority vote of those individuals, that's on the PSC. So that's one of the first things that I'll do, is getting in, convey to the four that are appointed the voice of Alabama, because I've been listening to the citizens for a year saying, ‘This is the voice of Alabama.’

“There's some issues that we need to change, just like them locking in the rates for three years. Well, we just locked in under this bill, the rates that are the highest rates in the southeast, for three years. I think we can work together to make that positive change and change that for the citizens.

“The next thing is looking at building a relationship with them to do a rate reduction. Because under Alabama Power, they're about 40% higher than TVA or these co-ops.

“I think there's some changes that we can make, but we got to do it together. And then, of course, I want to be a strong voice with the Secretary of Energy and the Governor to look at a plan moving forward, working with the Commission, to make things better in Alabama for all citizens, I think that's something that's been lacking.

“For the last year, I've been hearing the voice of Alabamians, and I know the needs and the challenges that we face to help this new Commission as it takes office.”

We then asked about another elephant in the room — data centers. There's been a lot of pushback, not just in Alabama, but nationally, about data centers. There have recently been concerns, in Georgia and elsewhere, about eminent domain being used to take people’s land and homes to build data centers. We asked Gentry, as one of seven members on the PSC, what would be his role in trying to give the people a voice in what's happening with these data centers.

Gentry said, “So first, I will never support eminent domain in taking people's homes and their property. We face those challenges in Cullman, and I will never, ever support that. Number two, I think we have to be strategic in the planning of data centers. And what I mean by that, is we know that we have to keep up with technology. We know there's those things that will come to play. In Alabama as your Public Service Commissioner, I think we need to be strategic in the placement of the locations of those. And, I also support the legislation that was passed that puts the burden on the data centers for the growth of power and water that that's their financial responsibility, not the financial responsibility of rate payers. 

“Because data centers, as you know, can be run remotely, and they do not create a lot of economic stability with jobs and those kinds of things moving forward in Alabama.

“For me, it’s strategic placement of the data centers. I will never support eminent domain, taking someone's property, and I will be a voice meeting with the communities when those do come, in to hear the needs and the wants of those communities as their Public Service Commissioner.”

We then asked Sheriff Gentry for a final messages for voters before the election on May 19.

“For the last three decades, whether it was as a Marine, a Deputy or Sheriff, I've been a voice for citizens. I've stood a line and protected our communities to bring balance, and as your next Public Service Commissioner, I will continue to stand that line and be a voice for all Alabamians. I look forward to serving every County in Alabama, not just the congressional district that they've made for me to represent. I started this race representing all 67 counties, and I will finish this race representing all 67 counties. And I just like to humbly ask for everyone's support, their prayers and their vote on May 19, Matt Gentry for Public Service Commission, Place 1,” he concluded.

For more information, visit https://mattgentryforpsc.com.