Trailblazing in Politics: Georgia’s First Black Woman PSC Commissioner

Dr. Alicia M. Johnson joins the Georgia Public Service Commission as the kind of leader many Georgians have been asking for, someone who understands the strain of rising energy costs and is committed to fighting for working families, seniors, and communities too often overlooked.

Dr. Alicia M. Johnson was elected to the Georgia Public Service Commission for District 2, where she will serve through 2030, stepping into her role as the first Black woman and first female Democrat ever elected to the PSC and the first African American woman elected to statewide executive office in Georgia outside the judiciary. With nearly 30 years of experience in public policy, community development, human services, managed care, and nonprofit leadership. Johnson’s mission is clear as she pushes to lower energy costs, protect seniors and working families, and hold utilities accountable so every Georgian can move toward real economic mobility and community well‑being.

Johnson won her election against Republican Tim Echols, who had served on the Public Service Commission for nearly two decades and voted year after year to approve Georgia Power’s rate hikes. Those decisions added pressure to households already stretched thin and contributed to the wave of disconnections that hit the state. Roughly 190,000 Georgia Power customers lost power in 2024 because they could not keep up with their bills after record increases. Johnson’s win reflects a shift toward leadership that listens and puts residents before corporate greed.

Dr. Johnson plans to move quickly on the issues that matter most to Georgians. She pushes for transparent audits and real energy‑burden analysis so the public can finally see where their money goes.

During her campaign, she made clear that she would assemble a consumer advisory board to ensure residents have a direct role in shaping decisions about their utility costs, rather than just receiving a monthly utility bill. She is calling for stronger oversight of data centers (large facilities that house the high‑powered computer systems used for data storage and AI by companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Meta). These corporations were drawn to Georgia more than a decade ago by inexpensive land, substantial tax incentives, and easy access to Georgia Power’s grid, yet their significant electricity and water demands increase system‑wide costs that utilities often pass on to residents through higher rates. Community advocates and customers have long raised concerns about this cost‑shifting, and the issue remains a subject of public debate and regulatory review.

Fun Facts About Dr. Alicia M. Johnson

• She’s Savannahian through and through. Born and raised in the city, she carries her hometown pride everywhere she goes.
• She has been a Georgia Power customer for all 52 years of her life, giving her a lived understanding of rising energy costs that many commissioners before her never experienced.
• She is a wife, mother, and grandmother. She’s married to H. Pernell Johnson, an illustrator and Professor Emeritus at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).
• She loves seafood and soul food, and she enjoys visiting Savannah favorites like The Olde Pink House.
• She’s a history lover with a genuine passion for reading and research.
• She has held major leadership roles, including serving as the Director of Medicaid Marketing and Member Services at WellCare of Georgia, the first Public Information Officer for the Eastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, and a grant writer and strategic planner for the Savannah‑Chatham County Public Schools District.
• Her roots shape her leadership. Her connection to Savannah and her lived experience as a lifelong Georgia utility customer guide how she listens, how she advocates, and how she fights for the people she serves.

We want to congratulate Commissioner Johnson on her historic achievement. Upscale family, leave a comment and share your thoughts on her victory and what it means for Georgia’s future.

The post Trailblazing in Politics: Georgia’s First Black Woman PSC Commissioner first appeared on Upscale Magazine.