On June 16, Alabama Republicans will decide who represents their party in the Place 2 race for the Public Service Commission. Most voters have never heard of the PSC. They’ve heard of their power bill. Those two things are connected.

What the PSC Actually Does

The Alabama Public Service Commission is a three-member elected body that regulates Alabama Power, the utility that serves roughly 1.5 million customers statewide, including every household and business in the Valley area and Chambers County.

The commission’s most significant authority is rate-setting. Under a framework called Rate Stabilization and Equalization — RSE — the PSC sets a target return range for Alabama Power. If the utility’s projected earnings fall below the floor, rates go up. If they exceed the ceiling, rates come down. Annual increases are capped at 5 percent of total retail revenue.

Three elected officials hold more direct influence over your monthly power bill than almost any other body in state government. They just don’t draw much attention.

What Just Changed — and Why It Matters

In April 2026, Governor Kay Ivey signed HB 475, the Power to the People Act. The law makes two structural changes.

First, it expands the PSC from three statewide elected commissioners to seven members. The governor gets four appointments before July 15, 2026. Remaining seats shift from statewide to district-based elections.

Second, it freezes base retail electric rates through January 1, 2029.

The rate freeze benefits customers on paper. But what passed is narrower than what was originally introduced. Early versions of HB 475 included formal rate proceedings, limits on utility profit margins, and a ban on billing customers for lobbying and advertising expenses. Those provisions were removed before the bill became law. What remained was a restructured commission and a temporary rate ceiling.

The Lawsuit Hanging Over the Race

Sheila D. McNeil, the Democratic nominee for PSC Place 2, has filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, naming Governor Ivey and Attorney General Steve Marshall as defendants. Her argument: HB 475 changed the rules of an election already in progress. Absentee voting had begun before the bill passed. She contends that violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.

McNeil also argues the restructuring dilutes minority voting power in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and that it stripped her of a protected interest in her candidacy without due process. The case is being tracked by Democracy Docket. A ruling before November could alter the shape of the commission significantly.

The Runoff: Beeker vs. Zeigler

Two candidates remain.

Chris Beeker III is the current incumbent, appointed by Governor Ivey in September 2025 after his father, longtime commissioner Chip Beeker, resigned citing health reasons. He received 25 percent of the Republican primary vote on May 19.

Jim Zeigler is a former State Auditor who served from 2015 to 2023 and held a PSC seat for one term in the 1970s. He ran as a populist challenger, promising to “put the public back into the Public Service Commission” and calling for greater transparency on solar farm and data center approvals. He led the May 19 primary with 45 percent of the vote, a 20-point margin over the incumbent.

Zeigler enters the June 16 runoff as the clear frontrunner. The winner faces McNeil in November.

What It Means for Chambers County

Alabama Power serves the Valley area and all of Chambers County. PSC decisions on rates and cost recovery affect the power bill of every household and business here. The expansion of the commission, including the governor’s four appointments before July 15, will reshape who holds that authority.

Runoff elections draw lighter turnout than primaries. In a low-profile race like this, every informed voter carries more weight.

Polls open June 16. Find your polling place at the Alabama Secretary of State’s website.