Alabama Utility Regulator Adds Two New Members
Businesses buying electricity in Alabama will see new commissioners setting rates as the PSC grows from three seats to seven.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Utilities
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Republicans Matt Gentry and Jim Zeigler won Alabama Public Service Commission Places 1 and 2 in the November 3, 2026 election, with Gentry taking 55.1 percent of the Place 1 vote and Zeigler taking 54.8 percent of the Place 2 vote. The wins come as the commission expands from three members to seven under the Power to the People Act.
Why it matters
The PSC regulates the rates and service of Alabama's utilities, so who holds its seats shapes the pricing environment businesses face. Criticism during the spring legislative session centered on high residential electricity bills in Alabama compared with surrounding Southern states, which made the commission's composition a live issue.
Results were tallied with 95 percent of votes counted, and the winners took majorities of 55.1 percent and 54.8 percent in their respective races. Alabama's residential electricity price stood at 17.01 cents per kilowatt-hour in March, the figure at the center of the spring bill criticism, and the PSC will grow from three members to seven.
The players
Matt Gentry
Cullman County sheriff who won the Republican nomination for Alabama PSC Place 1 and the general election.
Jim Zeigler
Former Alabama state auditor and former PSC member who won the Place 2 seat.
Cynthia Almond
Appointed Republican chair of the Alabama Public Service Commission, who will be joined by the newly elected commissioners.
The details
The Public Service Commission sets the rates and oversight for Alabama's regulated utilities, so its members directly influence what electricity costs businesses and households pay. Gentry defeated incumbent Commissioner Jeremy Oden in the May Republican primary with nearly 75 percent of the vote, and Zeigler beat incumbent Commissioner Chris Beeker in a June runoff. Zeigler previously served on the commission from 1975 to 1979 and later as state auditor from 2015 to 2023, while Gentry is the Cullman County sheriff.
Timeline
Zeigler served on the PSC from 1975 to 1979.
Zeigler served as Alabama state auditor from 2015 to 2023.
Gentry defeated Oden in the Republican primary in May.
Zeigler won the Republican nomination over Beeker in June.
Gentry and Zeigler will be sworn in on January 18, 2027.
Market Landscape
The Power to the People Act's expansion of the PSC from three members to seven changes the size of the body that sets utility rates in Alabama. The Gentry and Zeigler wins add two newly elected commissioners to a commission already led by appointed Republican chair Cynthia Almond.
Businesses that buy electricity in Alabama should factor in that the commission setting utility rates is changing composition and growing in size. Operators with large energy budgets may want to track the new commissioners' early positions on residential and commercial rate proposals.
The takeaway
The PSC's enlargement from three to seven members means more seats will set rate policy for the businesses and households that rely on Alabama's utilities. Operators should watch the commission's first rate filings after the January 18, 2027 swearing-in to see how the new membership treats electricity costs.
What happens next
Gentry and Zeigler will be sworn in on January 18, 2027, joining appointed Republican PSC Chair Cynthia Almond on the commission.
Further reading
For background on how the state's electricity providers are overseen, see the Utilities coverage section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Al.
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