BRUCE CAPPS: What role will Albany Utilities play in city's future?

Recently we learned that Albany City Commissioner Chad Warbington is campaigning for a board seat on the board of the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (MEAG). MEAG is the entity that supplies electrical power to Albany. MEAG board membership for an Albany representative would be very beneficial. But let’s be clear, MEAG is not necessarily a friend of Albany.

MEAG is very closely aligned with Georgia Power, a publicly held corporation that caters to its shareholders, not the consumers of electrical power in Albany. Commissioner Warbington’s knowledge and leadership, should he be elected to the MEAG board, will be a success for Albany. But by itself, his role may not be enough to help the city.

Albany Utilities is tied to MEAG, and MEAG’s venture into nuclear power has tied Albany Utilities to a very costly power generating option. The exact future impact of this decision needs to be made public, an undertaking recently ordered by the mayor. It is also possible that Albany needs to examine the benefits of its relationship with MEAG. Nuclear power generation in the USA has not been the most reliable source of electricity. It might be that Albany Utilities should be searching for energy alternatives. After all, the mayor also promised to develop solar energy sources.

Among other actions, Albany Utilities and its board need to explain to the residents of Albany how it plans to accommodate future increased reliance on electrical power while at the same time insulating its residents from the inevitable future rate increases that will come out of Plant Vogtle. In other words, it is past time for Albany Utilities and its board to state a vision of its role in the future of Albany.