Public Service Commission, Place No. 2

Kari Powell

Party: Democratic

Age: 36

Residence: Homewood

Political experience: None

Professional experience: Freelance Graphic Designer, 2012-present; manager, Powell Pediatric Dentistry, 2012-2015; associate director of marketing, Baird & Warner Real Estate, 2007-2012; advertising director and producer/director of Sunday Showcase of Homes TV Show, Howard Hanna Real Estate, 2004-2007.

Education: Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design, Miami University, 2004.

Civic experience: Member, Faith in Action, 2015-present; member, Service Guild of Birmingham, 2013-present; classroom volunteer, The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs, 2013-present.

Main issues: The candidate said, “We must ensure fair utility prices. Alabamians pay the 2nd highest residential energy bills in the nation. This is because our utility rates are set in secret. Transparency and public involvement are crucial in the rate-setting process. Most states hold formal public rate cases every 3-5 years to examine rates and ensure fairness, but Alabama’s PSC has not conducted a rate case since 1982. Thirty-six years is far too long for powerful utility monopolies to go unchecked. We must remove the barriers to clean energy in Alabama. The prohibitive solar tax that makes rooftop solar so unaffordable in Alabama must be removed and replaced with incentives. Growth of renewable energy will not only benefit our environment and lower our bills but also will provide thousands of new jobs in the Advanced Energy industry.”

Top Contributors: Scott Nettles, $7,000; Persistence PAC, $4,977; Kari Powell, $2,313; Nelson Broke, $2,500; Ashley Kimball, $1,330; Charles Scribner, $1,000; Dell Brooke, $1,000; Kathleen O’Connell, $1,000; MoveOn Org PAC, $1,000; Kathy Henderson, $1,000.

Campaign: https://electkaripowell.com/bio.html