Why are Alabama power bills so high? Why does the Alabama Public Service Commission keep avoiding transparency? And what really happened with the legislation that expanded the PSC?

In this episode of Make It Make Sense, Alabama, Neeli Faulkner and Whitney Scapecchi sit down with Jeff Ramsey, Democratic candidate for the Alabama Public Service Commission, union electrician, small business owner, and project manager, for one of the most detailed conversations yet about utility regulation in Alabama.

They get into Alabama Power profits, PSC transparency, solar penalties, Stockton solar controversy, data centers, rate cases, backroom politics, working class issues, and why so many Alabamians feel like they are paying more while getting less.

If you’ve been trying to understand why your power bill keeps climbing and why the system feels rigged, this episode is for you.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro01:11 Meet Jeff Ramsey + Why He’s Running05:29 Why Alabama Power Bills Are So High08:16 PSC Expansion Bill Explained12:28 Transparency, Backroom Deals & Accountability19:03 Solar, Data Centers & Stockton Controversy33:04 Alabama Power Profits, Efficiency & Rate Structure40:24 Why People-First Bills Keep Failing46:05 Rate Cases, Rate Hikes & How the System Works49:13 “We’re Not Mad Enough”54:35 What Jeff Would Do Differently01:03:59 Working Class Politics & “Dirt Road Democrat”01:16:01 Final Takeaway. “There’s Got to Be a Better Way”