Rabun County Commission Chairman Greg James and Forward Rabun Executive Director and Rabun County Chamber President Rick Story traveled to Atlanta on Wednesday, May 13, to represent Rabun County residents before the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC), offering testimony in support of Georgia Power’s storm damage recovery application following the devastation of Winter Storm Fern.
The hearing, designated as Case No. 44280, was convened at 9:30 a.m. at the PSC’s downtown Atlanta offices. James and Story addressed PSC Chairman Jason Shaw and Commissioners Lauren “Bubba” McDonald, Tim Hubbard, and Tricia Pridemore, providing firsthand accounts of Georgia Power’s response and restoration work in Rabun County following the February 1 storm.
Winter Storm Fern struck the region with significant force earlier this year, leaving many Rabun County residents and businesses without power and presenting serious logistical challenges to restoration crews working across rugged mountain terrain. The storm was among the more impactful weather events the county has faced in recent years, and the road to recovery drew on the resources and coordination of both local leadership and Georgia Power’s line crews.
Chairman James spoke to the commission from the perspective of county government, offering an assessment of Georgia Power’s response efforts and the coordination that took place between the utility and local officials in the storm’s aftermath. His testimony reflected the county’s direct experience navigating the recovery period and the working relationship between Rabun County and the power company during a challenging time for residents across the service area.
Story addressed the commission in his dual capacity as head of Forward Rabun and president of the Rabun County Chamber of Commerce, representing the interests of the local business community alongside the broader community voice. His remarks underscored both the economic disruption the storm created for local businesses and the restoration work that helped return the county to normal operations.
Both officials expressed appreciation to the PSC for the opportunity to bring Rabun County’s perspective directly before the commission. Participation in a formal regulatory proceeding of this nature is relatively uncommon for county-level officials, and their appearance reflected a commitment to ensuring that the experiences of rural mountain communities are represented in statewide utility proceedings that can have significant implications for how Georgia Power allocates recovery costs and plans future storm response.
The PSC’s review of Case No. 44280 is part of a broader regulatory process through which Georgia Power seeks approval to recover costs associated with storm damage response and restoration across its service territory. Public hearings allow local officials, business leaders, and affected residents to provide testimony that becomes part of the official record considered by commissioners as they evaluate the application.