Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols discusses energy, accountability and Georgia’s future
Georgia Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols says his priority remains balancing the state’s clean energy growth with keeping utility rates affordable for families and small businesses.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Georgia Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols says his priority remains balancing the state’s clean energy growth with keeping utility rates affordable for families and small businesses.
Echols, who has served on the commission since 2010, is running for re-election and says he wants to continue helping Georgia “lead the nation in clean energy, in technology, and in innovative policy decisions that will help make our state the best place to live, work and play,” according to his campaign website.
Under his tenure, Georgia has risen from 34th to 7th in the nation for installed solar power. His website credits that growth to “programs like net metering, community solar, and highway right-of-way solar arrays,” which Echols says were achieved “without subsidies and without legislative mandates.”
Echols has described himself as a “watchdog for Georgia families,” focusing on accountability and consumer protection. On his campaign site, he wrote, “Georgia is blessed to have energy rates well below the national average, but it doesn’t happen by accident. I’ve worked hard to make sure ratepayers’ interests are represented.”
He also mentioned his support for trade and union jobs, saying skilled labor is vital to the state’s energy transition. His website lists endorsements from several labor organizations and calls for recognizing trade careers as “first-class opportunities.”
As for transparency and trust, Echols says the PSC must continue earning public confidence through open decision-making. His campaign platform says “keeping Georgia’s energy rates low is a top priority” and that “decisions must always put consumers and Georgia families first.”
Echols, who also hosts the radio program Energy Matters, says he hopes to continue advancing clean, reliable energy while protecting Georgia’s consumers.
