Georgia Power has accused former Democratic Public Service Commission candidate Patty Durand of stealing trade secrets, leading to her arrest Tuesday by Georgia Capitol Police on felony theft charges, according to Georgia Public Broadcasting. Durand, who runs the watchdog group Georgia Utility Watch, has been an outspoken critic of Georgia Power’s dealings with data centers and potential rate hikes. Video from a PSC hearing reportedly shows her picking up a booklet, putting it down, then later taking another booklet from a different desk, placing it in her bag, and leaving the room. The hearing itself concerned Georgia Power’s request to add nearly 10,000 megawatts of new power — roughly the output of two Plant Vogtle units — primarily to meet rising data-center demand.
Durand has long argued that the company and regulators hide too much information behind “heavy redactions and trade secrets,” especially regarding contracts with data centers. During this week’s proceedings, she accused Georgia Power of prioritizing profits for its affiliated gas companies by building new natural-gas plants instead of expanding solar and battery storage. She described the company’s actions as “immoral” and questioned why the state allows such practices. Georgia Power is cooperating with authorities as the investigation continues, though officials have not said what Durand was allegedly planning to do with the materials she took.
Reaction to her arrest quickly turned political. Georgia GOP Chairman Josh McKoon said Durand “built her brand attacking the Public Service Commission and now she’s been arrested for stealing from it,” arguing that Republicans are working to keep energy affordable while Democrats “walk off with stolen documents.” Durand’s critics also pointed to her ties to Sen. Jon Ossoff, while unrelated Democratic scandals — such as Minnesota Sen. Nicole Mitchell’s felony burglary conviction — were cited by conservative outlets to paint a broader pattern of misconduct.