(The Center Square) – Georgia’s dependence on natural gas for electricity earned low marks on an energy affordability report.

The American Legislative Exchange Council’s Energy Affordability 2025 report ranks Georgia 35th out of the 50 states. The average cost of electricity per kilowatt-hour is 12 cents, according to the report, which looked at 2023 data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

“Although Georgia does not have a renewable portfolio standard nor is the state participating in a cap-and-trade scheme, Georgia ranks near the bottom in terms of energy affordability in large part due to an over-reliance on one fuel for electrical generation,” the report said. “With almost half of the state’s electricity generated using natural gas, ratepayers are on the hook for higher bills when the cost of natural gas rises.”

Georgia generates 47% of its energy from natural gas, followed by nuclear at 27%.

The report points to Plant Vogtle, a nuclear reactor in Waynesboro, as a reason for the higher energy costs. The project was often delayed and ended with a price tag of $7.5 billion, according to previous reports.

“While prices could have been lower if Georgia’s Vogtle nuclear generators had come online on schedule, the project slowed, and costs rose,” the report said.

Georgia is also susceptible to hurricanes, which lead to numerous power outages during the reporting period, the report’s authors said.

Wyoming has the lowest energy costs, followed by North Dakota, Idaho, Utah and Nebraska. Hawaii, California, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire make up the bottom five, according to the report.

(The Center Square) – For the second year in a row, the Georgia House of Representatives failed to consider a bill that supporters said would cut regulation.

Senate Bill 28, known as the Red Tape Rollback Act, passed the Senate on Feb. 24. A House committee voted to advance the bill in March, but it never made it to the floor before the House said “Sine Die” on Friday night.

The bill’s components included a provision that would allow lawmakers to request a Small Business Impact Analysis on pending legislation.

State agencies would have rules reviewed by the constitutional officers every four years to determine if any are outdated or need changes, according to the bill.

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones said initially the bill complemented the Department of Government Efficiency established by President Donald Trump. During debate on the Senate floor in February, Sen. Greg Dolezal, R-Cumming, said it was in the “spirit of DOGE.”

A March survey of Georgia voters conducted by Landmark Communications showed that 74% of respondents supported the agency review and small business analysis.

The legislation had broad support from business groups.

“We are disappointed that this measure didn’t make it over the finish line, especially since it contained a provision that created a mechanism for evaluating how a bill would impact small businesses,” said Hunter Loggins, Georgia director of the National Federation of Independent Business in a statement to The Center Square. “However, I understand the importance of making sure our agencies have the right tools for the job to better serve our hardworking Georgians.”

Chris Denson of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation said the organization is disappointed but is hopeful it will pass in 2026.

“Our research has shown that there are over 1.2 million combined regulatory restrictions on the people of Georgia,” Denson said in a statement to The Center Square. “Most alarming, there is little scrutiny of what’s currently on the books, combined with a lack of evaluation for how new rules will financially impact Georgia’s small business community.”

Senate Bill 28 was not the only bill left behind during the legislative session. Senate Bill 225, which would have banned speed detection cameras in school zones, died before lawmakers could agree on several changes.

A bill that would have banned diversity, equity and inclusion at the state’s colleges and schools also failed to make it across the finish line.