2026 could be last time Alabama votes for utility regulators, bill set for committee vote

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - This year will be key for the Alabama Public Service Commission (APSC), the three-person panel elected to set your utility rates.

The 2026 race has the most crowded field in recent memory and lawmakers are proposing significant changes to its governance.

Tuesday, Feb. 10, an Alabama House committee will take up a bill that would change the APSC from an elected to an appointed body.

Currently, Alabama is one of 10 states that still elects its utility commission. The legislation would not impact the upcoming elections for two of the three seats in November. If passed, the appointments would begin in 2028 with the APSC president.

According to the legislation, the president would be appointed by the governor. The house speaker and senate pro tempore would appoint the associate members. All appointments would require some experience in the industry along with senate confirmation.

The timing is critical as energy and utility prices remain a key conversation across the country and state, as a WBRC investigation found Alabamians pay some of the highest electric bills in the country.

The legislation also proposes regulated utilities to be involved in public meetings to discuss their rates, costs and other factors - which have been happening with the APSC for some time.

It would also prevent ratepayers from being charged for lobbying costs, but falls short of preventing utility companies from donating to those who would make the appointments.

The legislation has more than a dozen sponsors in both chambers combined with bipartisan support. Lawmakers don’t view this as taking away the right to elect utility regulators.

Senator Bobby Singleton, D, says he’s carrying the bill with hopes it will translate to Democratic representation on the APSC, despite a Republican majority in the upper chamber.

“We all get a chance to vote, but all of us are not represented,” Singleton said. “I’m trying to get something where there’s diversity, where there’s a representation.”

Republican Rep. Chip Brown is one of several sponsors carrying the bill in the House.

Energy Alabama has been vocal about this bill from the beginning, stating Alabama Power is behind it, going as far to say Alabama Power approached the organization for its support on the bill.

“It appeared to us that Alabama Power was doing its best to shepherd this bill, push others into the spotlight, and act like it had nothing to do with it,” Energy Alabama’s Executive Director Daniel Tait said. “They’re the only ones that would stand to gain from this type of a change.”

WBRC has reached out to Alabama Power multiple times requesting a response and an interview. At the time of publication, Alabama Power has not responded.

Tait says taking this vote away from the people would allow Alabama Power to have more stake in appointing the people who would ultimately regulate them and do little to bring down power bills across the state.

“The profits here are completely out of control,” Tait explained. “We haven’t had a rate case since 1982. There are so many things that are causing the electric bills to be completely out of control and those are not being addressed here. They are being papered over.”

All the bill sponsors on this legislation have received campaign donations from Alabama Power, which is the case for more than 90% of the membership of the Alabama Legislature.

The House Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure standing committee meets Tuesday at 11 a.m.

Get news alerts in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter here.