{"id":2587566,"date":"2026-04-06T10:46:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T14:46:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/power-company-faces-legal-fight-for-making-too-much-energy\/"},"modified":"2026-04-06T10:49:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T14:49:34","slug":"power-company-faces-legal-fight-for-making-too-much-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/power-company-faces-legal-fight-for-making-too-much-energy\/","title":{"rendered":"Power Company Faces Legal Fight For Making Too Much Energy"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpower-company-faces-legal-fight-for-making-too-much-energy%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2587566&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Environmental and religious groups filed a petition in Fulton Superior Court on March 25 to challenge georgia Power\u2019s plan to expand its energy generation, arguing teh Georgia Public Service Commission overstepped its authority by allowing a monopoly utility to make costly investments charged to captive customers.<\/p>\n<p>The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) and allied plaintiffs contend Georgia Power seeks to buy or build 28 energy resources, and that the PSC approved about 9,617 MW of new capacity (bringing total to 32,117 MW) largely to meet potential demand from data centers, rather than through competitive bidding.<\/p>\n<p>The petition claims the PSC approved 757 MW more than needed, enough to power more than 150,000 households, and asserts Georgia Power misrepresented costs to existing customers while pursuing other projects, including a proposed $100 million methane gas-fired plant. It also alleges the resources were treated as immune from bidding, and that the commission did not determine whether the projects could proceed without a bid process.<\/p>\n<p>SELC represents groups such as the Sierra Club, Georgia Interfaith Power &#038; Light, Park Avenue Church, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Savannah, the Southern alliance for Clean Energy, and the Sierra Club Georgia Chapter.The filing notes Georgia Power is owned by Southern Company, which recently received a large DOE loan to expand grids.<\/p>\n<p>The article situates the filing within a broader context of climate-related legal challenges to energy companies, including Maryland court actions against fossil-fuel firms.It also mentions the SELC\u2019s funding connections, including donations from Fred Stanbeck and support tied to the Foundation for the Carolinas.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Environmental and religious groups are taking Georgia regulators to court after they approved a utility company&rsquo;s energy expansion.<\/p>\n<p>The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) and its activist co-plaintiffs petitioned the Fulton Superior Court on March 25 demanding review Georgia Power&rsquo;s bid to buy or build 28 energy generative resources.<\/p>\n<p>The suit alleges the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC) exceeded its legal authority by allowing a &ldquo;monopoly utility&rdquo; to make &ldquo;unnecessary and uneconomic investments that will be charged to captive customers,&rdquo;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.selc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026.03.25-Petition-for-Review-of-PSC-10-GW-w-exhibits-Filed.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">according<\/a> to the petition documents.<\/p>\n<p>The SELC is a non-profit environmental law firm that received at least $50 million from Fred Stanbeck, a billionaire who frequently donates to groups supporting environmental causes, abortion, and population control.<\/p>\n<p>The SELC took over $175.4 million in donations from the Foundation for the Carolinas where Stanbeck is a one of the largest account holders.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); 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\t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>SELC represented the Sierra Club on behalf of itself, Georgia Interfaith Power &amp; Light, Park Avenue Church, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Savannah, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and the Sierra Club Georgia Chapter leader Adrian Webber.<\/p>\n<p>Georgia Interfaith Power &amp; Light (GIPL) is an environmental activist group that &ldquo;inspires and equips communities of faith to organize, implement practical climate solutions, and advocate across Georgia on issues of climate change, environmental justice, and community resilience,&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/gipl.org\/story\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">according<\/a> to their website.<\/p>\n<p>Park Avenue Church describes itself as an &ldquo;abolitionist church,&rdquo; and its goal as a parish is &ldquo;not only to resist militarism and policing in a patriarchal, white supremacist system but to co-create along with the Spirit of God, new systems,&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.parkavebaptist.com\/_files\/ugd\/7d8ee3_ee7d77ba12c84c6ea8a70fa4ef6244cb.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">according<\/a> to their website.<\/p>\n<p>PSC issued Georgia Power a certification allowing the company 9,617 megawatts, bringing their total capacity to 32,117 megawatts. The large energy purchase was made to meet potential demand from companies interested in building data centers in Georgia, according to the petition documents.<\/p>\n<p>The SELC argued the PSC overstepped its statutory power by approving 757 megawatts more than their capacity requirements, estimated at 31,360 megawatts. 757 megawatts powers more than 150,000 households, according to the petition documents.<\/p>\n<p>The petition claimed Georgia Power misrepresented the certification costs allocated to existing customers rather than new customers amid other projects driving up demand. The plaintiffs argued Georgia Power&rsquo;s certification plans demonstrate unnecessary costs have already been incurred, noting a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >proposed 0 million methane gas-fired power plant<\/a> through 2026 prior to certification.<\/p>\n<p>The SELC said that Georgia Power presented several of the resources as being immune from competitive bidding and the PSC did not &ldquo;make a determination&rdquo; whether Georgia Power could purchase the resources without the bid process, according to the petition.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Commission&rsquo;s approval of new gas units in the 2025 All&#8209;Source Certification proceeding will only prolong fossil&#8209;fuel dependence, worsen pollution, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-gop-aims-to-repeal-gas-stove-and-appliance-rules-in-government-funding-bill\/\" title=\"House GOP seeks to remove gas stove and appliance regulations in funding bill.\">impose unnecessary costs<\/a> that show up directly on the bills of Georgians,&rdquo; said plaintiff Adrien Webber in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.selc.org\/press-release\/groups-challenge-pscs-approval-of-massive-georgia-power-gas-expansion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">statement<\/a> to the SELC.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We are tired of a Public Service Commission bending and outright breaking its rules and the law to give Georgia Power whatever it wants, no matter the cost to our air and water or the impact on our monthly energy bills.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Georgia Power is owned and operated by the Southern Company, a large utility company that received a historic $26.5 billion loan to expand Georgia and Alabama&rsquo;s electrical grids&nbsp; from the U.S. Department of Energy in February.<\/p>\n<p>Energy companies have faced massive legal challenges in court concerning their negative effect on the climate. Maryland Supreme Court dismissed local lawsuits from Baltimore, Annapolis, and Anne Arundel County against 26 fossil fuel companies on March 24.<\/p>\n<p>The plaintiffs claimed the companies violated Maryland law by damaging the climate via fossil fuel emissions.<\/p>\n<div class=\"disclaimer\">\n<p>All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-weighs-in-on-deadly-subway-clash-after-desantis-calls-marine-a-good-samaritan\/\" title=\"Trump Weighs In on Deadly Subway Clash After DeSantis Calls Marine a &#039;Good Samaritan&#039;\">nonpartisan newswire service<\/a>, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter&rsquo;s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/mailto:licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org\">licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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The Southern Environmental Law Center and allied plaintiffs petitioned Fulton Superior Court on March 25, asking for a review of Georgia Power\u2019s bid to acquire or build 28 new energy-generating resources. They argue the Georgia Public Service Commission overstepped its authority by allowing a monopolistic utility to make costly and arguably unnecessary investments that would be paid by customers who don\u2019t have a choice.<\/p>\n<p>The SELC is a nonprofit environmental law organization that has received large donations from Fred Stanbeck, a billionaire donor who funds groups supporting environmental causes, abortion, and population control, and has also drawn significant contributions from the Foundation for the Carolinas. The petition lists several co-plaintiffs, including the Sierra Club and various faith- and community-based groups: Georgia Interfaith Power &amp; Light, Park Avenue Church, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Savannah, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, and the Sierra Club\u2019s Georgia Chapter.<\/p>\n<p>Georgia Power\u2019s certification from the PSC allowed an additional 9,617 megawatts of capacity, bringing total certified capacity to 32,117 megawatts. The purchase was reportedly intended to meet potential demand from companies looking to establish data centers in Georgia. The SELC contends the PSC approved 757 megawatts more than what was necessary, a figure the petition says could power more than 150,000 households. The filing also claims Georgia Power misrepresented the costs to existing customers and notes a proposed $100 million methane gas-fired plant planned through 2026 prior to certification. The groups argue that some resources were treated as immune from competitive bidding and that the PSC did not determine whether Georgia Power could acquire the resources without a bid process.<\/p>\n<p>The plaintiffs criticized the Commission, saying its approval of new gas units in the 2025 All-Source Certification proceeding would extend fossil-fuel dependence, worsen pollution, and raise Georgians\u2019 energy bills. Georgia Power is owned by Southern Company, which recently received a large U.S. Department of Energy loan to expand electrical grids in Georgia and Alabama. The broader climate-litigation context includes related cases, such as Maryland\u2019s Supreme Court dismissal of lawsuits against fossil-fuel companies cited earlier in March<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2587567,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7522-1.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[4486,77250,77248,77249,77247],"class_list":["post-2587566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-energy","tag-energy-regulation-2","tag-legal-battle-2","tag-overproduction","tag-power-company"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7522-1.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2587566","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2587566"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2587566\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2587570,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2587566\/revisions\/2587570"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2587567"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2587566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2587566"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2587566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}