Gov. Kay Ivey appoints four new Alabama PSC members as commission expansion takes shape
Gov. Kay Ivey appointed four new members to Alabama’s expanded Public Service Commission one day after a primary runoff election saw a second Republican incumbent PSC member defeated.
Mason Reed 
Governor Kay Ivey announced four new appointments to the Alabama Public Service Commission (PSC) on Wednesday, marking a significant milestone in the state’s utility regulator expansion. The move comes just one day after a primary runoff election reshaped the political landscape for the PSC.
Expansion and Appointments
The PSC is currently in the process of expanding from three members to seven, a change authorized by the Power to the People Act signed by Ivey earlier this year. These new appointees are slated to begin their terms on Jan. 18, 2027. The selection process involved nominations from Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger, and minority leaders Rep. Anthony Daniels and Sen. Bobby Singleton.
The appointees include:
- Ron Burgess: A retired three-star general and former executive vice president at Auburn University. He will serve a four-year term.
- Fred Johnson: A telecommunications and electric distribution veteran with over 40 years of experience, including 23 years as CEO of Farmers Telecommunications. He will serve a two-year term.
- Demarcus Joiner: An associate at Maynard Nexsen with extensive background in public policy and the University of Alabama System. He will serve a two-year term.
- Quinton Ross Jr.: The current president of Alabama State University and a former member of the Alabama Senate. He will serve a four-year term.
Shifting Political Tides
The appointments coincide with a period of turbulence for the commission. Former Alabama Auditor Jim Zeigler recently won the Republican runoff for PSC Place 2 by defeating incumbent Chris Beeker. Earlier this year, Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry also unseated incumbent PSC Commissioner Jeremy Oden in the May 19 primary.
The push for a larger commission is driven largely by public frustration regarding high utility costs. Federal data indicates that as of March, Alabama residents paid an average of 17.01 cents per kilowatt-hour, the highest rate in the South. While the Power to the People Act includes an electric rate freeze, critics like Energy Alabama policy manager John Dodd have labeled the measure a temporary pause rather than long-term relief.
The Path Forward
The expansion itself is not without legal scrutiny. Democratic candidate for PSC Place 2, Sheila McNeil, filed a federal lawsuit in May challenging the mid-election restructuring of the commission. Meanwhile, the governor’s office has noted that the legislation also removes the requirement for commissioners to work on a full-time basis, moving toward a structure comparable to the Alabama State Board of Education.
