Former Public Service Commission (PSC) candidate Patty Durand has been arrested and charged with felony theft of trade secrets, after allegedly taking a Georgia Power booklet marked “Trade Secrets” during a PSC hearing. The arrest occurred after a public hearing in which Georgia Power requested approval to build massive new generating capacity — mostly natural gas plants — to meet surging demand, particularly from data centers.
According to the arrest warrant, during a lunch break, Durand re-entered the hearing room, picked up a confidential Georgia Power document from one desk (then put it back), went to a second desk, picked up the same kind of binder, quickly flipped through it, placed it in her purse, and left. Georgia Capitol Police booked her into Fulton County Jail.
Durand is a longtime critic of Georgia Power’s lack of transparency. She founded Georgians for Affordable Energy, and has frequently pushed back publicly on Georgia Power’s redactions, especially involving data center contracts. At the very PSC hearing during which the incident occurred, she argued that Georgia Power was prioritizing its gas-company affiliates and sidelining renewables like solar and battery storage, calling its plan “immoral.”
Georgia Power responded by saying it’s cooperating with law enforcement and stressing that some information must remain confidential to protect business interests. Meanwhile, PSC officials declined to comment in-depth, stating the matter is now in the hands of law enforcement.
Durand could face 1 to 5 years in prison and a fine up to $50,000 if convicted. Her arrest has sparked political debate: GOP leaders have accused her of hypocrisy, saying she built her activism by attacking the PSC, then allegedly stole from it. Some legal experts are also raising broader concerns about transparency, arguing that the PSC must better balance trade-secret protection with the public’s right to know.
Whether the documents she allegedly took truly qualify as “trade secrets,” or whether she intended to publicly disclose them, remains unclear. But the case has already amplified scrutiny of Georgia Power, the PSC, and how ratepayer interests are weighed against corporate confidentiality in the state’s rapidly evolving energy landscape.
