Georgia Watch Selected to Join Nationwide Organization of Utility Advocates

May 18, 2011

Georgia Watch has been selected by the most distinguished consumer utility advocates in the country to join the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates (NASUCA), the oldest and most trusted independent authority on national and statewide regulatory proceedings.

For more than 35 years, NASUCA’s coalition of advocates has worked on behalf of ratepayers by analyzing data and developing positions on legislative and regulatory proposals that affect utility pricing, energy efficiency, and renewable energy.

As a NASUCA member, Georgia Watch will be able to tap into a nationwide braintrust of state advocates – more than 40 state offices, including 12 state attorneys general and nearly 30 state offices of consumer affairs – and exchange the most up-to-date information on issues and proceedings affecting the customers of regulated utilities.

“It is an honor to be selected to join NASUCA,” said Georgia Watch Executive Director Angela Speir Phelps. “We are privileged to represent Georgia as a member of NASUCA and pleased to be associated with such a respected organization of industry experts and consumer advocates.

Georgia Watch’s Consumer Energy Program (CEP) has acted as the state’s primary consumer advocate on behalf of utility customers since 2009, a year after Georgia defunded its Consumers’ Utility Counsel, the state agency tasked with representing ratepayer interests at the PSC.

Georgia Watch will leverage NASUCA’s collective knowledge in ongoing efforts to represent Georgia’s utility customers in formal cases before the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC).

“NASUCA is an important resource that will no doubt strengthen our ability to advocate on behalf of Georgians at the state Capitol and the PSC,” said Georgia Watch Senior Counsel and Consumer Energy Program Director Clare McGuire, who from 2003-2005 served on NASUCA’s Natural Gas, Consumer Protection, and Telecommunications Committees. “NASUCA’s shared expertise on regulatory matters is unmatched in the industry.”

Georgia Watch advocates for residential and business customers before the PSC focusing on consumer protection, fair rates, and cleaner, cheaper, more efficient energy solutions. NASUCA offers support, professional resources, and expertise to Georgia Watch in our advocacy efforts on behalf of Georgia’s citizens.