Members of the Alabama Public Service Commission (PSC) approved on Tuesday a two-year rate freeze proposed by Alabama Power in a recent filing.
The PSC regulates utility companies in Alabama.
Commissioner Jeremy Oden said in a statement after the vote on Tuesday, "The high cost of living is hurting the quality of life of every Alabamian, and Alabama Power’s commitment to keep rates flat for two years is a win for ratepayers.”
“Biden’s war on American energy is over, and President Trump is ushering in the golden age of American energy dominance,” he added. “But undoing Biden’s radical and reckless policies takes time, and I appreciate Alabama Power’s responsiveness to the Public Service Commission’s immediate and primary objective: providing much-needed relief to Alabama families and ratepayers. I’m proud of the work my fellow commissioners and I put into bringing everyone to the table and pushing for real, practical solutions that make energy more affordable."
Commissioner Chris Beeker said, “Alabama Power’s announcement that it will seek to keep utility rates flat for the next two years brings welcome relief at a time when all of us are struggling with the inflation hangover created by the Biden administration and woke initiatives like the Green New Deal.”
“Every member of the Public Service Commission sent strong signals that any request for a rate increase would be a non-starter because too many families across Alabama are already finding it difficult to make ends meet, and consumers need relief,” he continued. “We appreciate the fact that our message was received, understood, and accommodated. During his first term in office, President Trump built the greatest, strongest, and most successful economy in our nation’s history, and as a proud MAGA Republican, I know he will repair the economic damage Biden left behind, restore affordability to our everyday lives, and make America great again. At the same time, I’ll stand shoulder-to-shoulder with President Trump to stop committed communists and socialists like AOC, Bernie Sanders, and Zohran Mamdani from destroying the capitalist system that built the greatest nation history has ever known."
Brent Woodall, who is challenging Beeker in the 2026 Republican primary, told 1819 News the action was an example of “the tail wagging the dog.”
“Why is the Public Service Commission not the one who is laying out what needs to happen? Why is it that the utilities are going to the PSC, saying ‘Here’s what we’ll do’ in response to these reports and also I think to Sen. (Katie) Britt’s comments about high rates that Alabamians pay. That is something that the Public Service Commission is supposed to be providing leadership on and in this case it seems like the tail is wagging the dog,” Woodall said. “I’m sure that they’ve got concerns about what is coming. You mentioned Georgia. That’s two (PSC) seats that flipped to the Democrat Party. They’ve got to be looking from Georgia to Alabama, saying ‘Well, what’s going to take place here?’”
He continued, "It goes back to: why do we have the difference in rates between Georgia and Alabama? WBRC reported that Alabama has the third-highest electric bills in the nation behind Hawaii and Connecticut. With that being the case, why would our rates be that high compared to Georgia and the other southern states? The answer that you receive from the Public Service Commission quite frequently when you ask those questions is, ‘Well, it gets hot in Alabama.’ Well, it gets hot in Georgia and Mississippi and Louisiana and Florida. I’m sure they’re looking at Georgia and it’s giving them some concern, but again the Public Service Commission we need people that are leading the way, not following.
“I think the people of Alabama are going to see this vote for what it is. It is an act being carried out by the commissioners because they are concerned about their position. I don’t think that they are going to be successful in what they are trying to do which is keep Alabamians from realizing just what a poor job the commissioners have been doing over the last several years," Woodall said.
Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry, who is challenging Oden in the Republican primary in 2026, told 1819 News on Tuesday, “It’s ironic that the timing is five months before the election that’s coming up.”
“When you’re in a position like the Public Service Commission…it’s your job to take care of the citizens, it’s your job to take care of the businesses and make sure that there’s balance for them to be successful. It’s your job to work hand in hand for economic development (and) growth but also make sure that our citizens are taken care of and it’s your job to be a voice for them,” Gentry said.
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