---
title: SB 34. Public Service Commission; costs incurred by an electric utility as a result of providing electric services to commercial data centers from being included in any rates; prohibit
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb34
cite_as: SB 34, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb34
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb34.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb34/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69551
date: 2026-02-25
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 412
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb34.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 34
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-01-27
last_action: Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
sponsors:
- Chuck Hufstetler
- Carden Summers
- John Albers
- Jason Anavitarte
- Randy Robertson
- Nan Orrock
- Jason Esteves
- Michael Rhett
- Sally Harrell
- Kim Jackson
- RaShaun Kemp
- Freddie Sims
- Josh McLaurin
- Ed Harbison
- Nabilah Islam Parkes
- Sheikh Rahman
- Derek Mallow
- Emanuel Jones
- Elena Parent
- Tonya Anderson
- Kenya Wicks
text_version: Comm Sub
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB34/2025
upstream_id: 1943236
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- electric utility regulation
- data centers
- Public Service Commission
- electricity rates
- utility contracts
---
# SB 34. Public Service Commission; costs incurred by an electric utility as a result of providing electric services to commercial data centers from being included in any rates; prohibit
## Text
The Senate Committee on Regulated Industries and Utilities offered the following
substitute to SB 34:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 2 of Title 46 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
Public Service Commission, so as to require certain contract terms and conditions between
electric utilities and large load customers; to provide for a definition; to provide for related
matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 2 of Title 46 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Public
Service Commission, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"46-2-25.4.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'large load customer' means customers with an
expected total peak demand of 100 megawatts or greater at one or more premises located
on one tract or contiguous tracts of land.
(b) Each contract between an electric utility and a large load customer for the provision
of electric service, entered into on or after the effective date of this Act, shall include terms
and conditions designed to protect residential and retail electricity customers from costs
associated with serving new large load customers, including, but not limited to, the
following:
(1) Minimum billing requirements designed to recover incremental costs associated with
serving or preparing to serve a large load customer;
(2) A contract term that may exceed the length of the applicable service tariff;
(3) Performance and credit provisions designed to protect retail customers in the event
of contract default; and
(4) Termination provisions designed to protect retail customers in the event of
termination of the contract for electric service."
SECTION 2.
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law
without such approval.
SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Senate substitute for SB 34 would require electric utilities in Georgia to include specific consumer-protection terms in contracts with very large power customers, such as data centers, so their costs are not shifted onto residential customers.
### Plain-language summary
Large industrial customers, including commercial data centers, can require enormous amounts of electricity, sometimes over 100 megawatts. Building the infrastructure to serve them can be costly, and if a large customer defaults or leaves, those costs could otherwise be spread across residential and other retail electric customers through rates.
This bill amends Georgia's Public Service Commission law (O.C.G.A. Chapter 2 of Title 46) by adding a new Code section, 46-2-25.4. It defines a 'large load customer' as one with an expected peak electricity demand of 100 megawatts or more at one site or connected tracts of land. For contracts signed after the bill takes effect, electric utilities must include specific protective terms, such as minimum billing requirements, contract lengths that can exceed standard tariffs, credit and performance safeguards, and termination provisions, all meant to shield residential and retail customers from absorbing costs tied to serving these large customers. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it.
### What it does
- Creates a new legal definition of 'large load customer' as one needing 100 megawatts or more of peak electricity demand at a single site or contiguous tracts.
- Requires new contracts between electric utilities and large load customers to include terms protecting residential and retail customers from related costs.
- Mandates minimum billing requirements in these contracts to recover costs incurred in serving or preparing to serve large load customers.
- Allows contract terms with large load customers to run longer than the utility's standard service tariff.
- Requires performance and credit provisions to protect retail customers if a large load customer defaults on its contract.
- Requires termination provisions that protect retail customers if a large load customer's electric service contract ends.
### Who it affects
Electric utilities operating in Georgia, large industrial and commercial electricity users such as data centers with very high power needs, and residential and other retail electric customers whose rates could otherwise be affected by the costs of serving those large users.
### Why it matters
As data centers and other massive power users expand in Georgia, serving them can require costly grid upgrades. This bill aims to keep those costs tied to the large customer's contract rather than spread across everyday households' electric bills, changing how utilities must structure new large-load contracts.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 adds new Code section 46-2-25.4 to Georgia law, defining 'large load customer' as one with expected peak demand of 100 megawatts or greater at one or more premises on contiguous land.
- Section 1 requires contracts with large load customers signed after the effective date to include minimum billing requirements tied to incremental service costs.
- Section 1 allows contract terms to exceed the length of the utility's standard service tariff.
- Section 1 requires performance and credit provisions to protect retail customers if a large load customer defaults on its contract.
- Section 1 requires termination provisions protecting retail customers if the electric service contract ends.
- Section 2 makes the Act effective immediately upon the Governor's signature or upon becoming law without signature.
- Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-01-27)
- Last action: Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (2026-02-25)
- Sponsors: Chuck Hufstetler, Carden Summers, John Albers, Jason Anavitarte, Randy Robertson, Nan Orrock, Jason Esteves, Michael Rhett, Sally Harrell, Kim Jackson, RaShaun Kemp, Freddie Sims, Josh McLaurin, Ed Harbison, Nabilah Islam Parkes, Sheikh Rahman, Derek Mallow, Emanuel Jones, Elena Parent, Tonya Anderson, Kenya Wicks
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69551
> The history, votes, and amendments (412 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb34.md?full=1