Georgia Power has accused former Democratic Public Service Commission candidate Patty Durand of stealing confidential company materials, leading to her arrest by Georgia Capitol Police on felony theft charges. The allegations stem from a PSC hearing focused on the utility’s request to dramatically expand Georgia’s power supply—adding nearly 10,000 megawatts, much of it to support growing data-center demand. Video from the hearing reportedly shows Durand, who leads the watchdog group Georgia Utility Watch, picking up a booklet from one desk and then placing another booklet into her bag before leaving the room. Durand has long criticized what she calls excessive secrecy surrounding Georgia Power’s contracts with data centers and has argued that sweeping redactions hide critical rate and cost details from the public.
During the week’s proceedings, Durand argued that Georgia Power’s proposal heavily favors new natural-gas plants over investments in solar and battery storage, asserting that the company is prioritizing profits for its affiliated gas businesses. She described the company’s actions as “immoral,” insisting that regulators were allowing opaque and unethical practices to continue unchecked. Georgia Power has stated it is fully cooperating with investigators as the inquiry continues.
Following the arrest, Georgia GOP Chairman Josh McKoon condemned Durand, saying her conduct undermined her claims of being a public watchdog. Conservative media also highlighted her political ties and referenced previous controversies involving Democratic officials. The broader energy debate in Georgia, meanwhile, remains heated as state leaders weigh the balance between grid reliability, transparency, and the rising power demands of the tech sector.