Georgia Power faces class-action suit accusing it of inflating fees

A Fulton County judge has granted class-action status in a long-running lawsuit claiming Georgia Power overcharged customers for more than a decade. The status means the case now covers virtually all of the company’s 2.5 million customers statewide, a swipe with somewhat rare sweep against Georgia’s largest utility.

But the case, first filed in 2011, is far from over. It goes before the state’s utility regulator — the Georgia Public Service Commission — for comment before being heard by Fulton Superior Court Judge Rachel Krause.

The suit argues that Georgia Power continues to inflate municipal franchise fees that are included in monthly electric bills, assessing them not just based on electricity revenue but incorrectly also on a financing fee tied to the Vogtle nuclear project as well as on a fee for environmental compliance.

The suit doesn’t question the nuclear or environmental fees themselves, which also are part of Georgia Power bills. Nor does it challenge the overall Vogtle nuclear expansion.

Read more: https://www.ajc.com/news/local/georgia-power-faces-class-action-suit-accusing-inflating-fees/bXDyhz1MUcBVgfTbP1QMjK/