ALRA Press
February 14th, 2026
One week ago, the Alabama Republican Assembly put forth a resolution that rejected Senate Bill 268 and companion House Bill 392, opposing the elimination of elected Public Service Commissioners.
Bravo, Alabama! Just when you thought your utility bills couldn’t get any more creatively punished, the geniuses in Montgomery decided to treat our Republican values like an optional side dish and nearly served up a heaping plate of “Let’s Appoint the People Who Decide How Much You Pay for Electricity Instead of Letting You Vote for Them.”
Imagine this: the Alabama Public Service Commission (PSC), that well-known group of three regulators responsible for overseeing Alabama Power and making sure your electricity bill arrives each month, has been chosen by voters since around the time the light bulb was invented. It’s one of those charming, traditional practices.
Enter House Bill 392, the shiny “reform” package backed by Gov. Kay Ivey, along with a cast of characters, and to the surprise of many ALGOP members, their temporary Chair, apparently believe the best way to protect Alabamians from high energy costs is to remove the one tiny lever of accountability voters still have. Why let the peasants choose who oversees the monopoly utility when a select handful of politicians can handpick the perfect yes-men (or yes-women) behind closed doors where so many decisions are made that “assist the citizens of the State” occur.
The pitch was beautiful in its audacity: “Most states appoint their regulators!” they cried. “It’ll be more professional!” “Less political!” As if handing the keys to the rate-approval process directly to the governor’s office and the high-level officials in the House and Senate, somehow makes it less political. Sure, and appointing your own parole board makes prison rehabilitation more effective.
Renewable energy folks, consumer advocates, and regular folks are tired of paying Southern-leading rates screamed bloody murder. “This process will silence the voters!” “It hides decisions even further from public view!” “Alabama already has the third highest electric rates in the nation, Alabamians can’t afford that, we’re not third richest state.“
The bill rocketed through committee like it was on rails (party-line vote, naturally), then—poof! It got yanked from the House floor at the last second this week. Sponsor Rep. Chip Brown reportedly remarked something about we are “ironing out issues” and “Senate uncertainty,” which is politician-speak for “our constituents have started calling and emailing in numbers that made our staff consider early retirement.” Even some of Republican sponsors got cold feet when the public realized this wasn’t abstract reform, it was “you might never again vote for who sets your power rates.“
So here we are in February 2026: the bill is in limbo, supporters of the legislation are scrambling and for the moment, the 2026 PSC elections for two seats are still on.
Some may not realize that all of the current members of the PSC have been appointed, only one has run for reelection, two of the sitting members have been appointed by the present administration, so the PSC will keep doing what it does best, approving whatever Alabama Power asks for under the magical Rate Stabilization and Equalization (RSE) formula that guarantees profits while public input gets a polite golf clap.
Why are the Governor and Legislature trying to strip voters of their say over the one body that could theoretically tell a utility company “no” once in a while.
The Alabama Republican Assembly wants you realize that there are powers at work in Montgomery that do not have the best interest of the citizens of Alabama. It’s about power and control; they will not relinquish it and will do whatever needed to “persuade” those that represent the citizens to “buy” into their agenda.