utility rates

People move to rural Baldwin County for nature and a slower pace. But that same open land is attracting large-scale energy projects tied to data centers. One in particular is raising questions about growth and who makes land-use decisions in rural Alabama.

Last month, Alabama and surrounding states recorded sweltering hot temperatures. Companies such as the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) also recorded heavy power usages for the month of June due to more people turning their thermostats down.

Regulators have unanimously approved an additional 6% rate increase to pay for remaining costs at Georgia Power Company's Plant Vogtle. The rate increase is projected to add $8.95 a month to a typical residential customer's current monthly bill of $157. Some Alabama electricity providers have contracted to buy power from Vogtle.

Utilities in Georgia, Florida and Alabama are buying the electricity from a new reactor at a nuclear power plant in Georgia. Plant Vogtle is the first new American reactor built from scratch in decades.

Alabama Power customers are getting a refund this summer. Al.com reports the Alabama Public Service Commission approved the refund to be paid to eligible customers in August.

The Alabama Public Service Commission has blocked Commissioner Terry Dunn's request for a formal review of the rate structures for Alabama's three largest…