A controversial incident unfolded this week involving Patty Durand, a former Democratic candidate for Georgia’s Public Service Commission (PSC), after Georgia Power accused her of taking protected company materials during a high-profile regulatory hearing. Durand was arrested Tuesday by Georgia Capitol Police and charged with felony theft, according to reporting from Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB).

The hearing in question concerned Georgia Power’s request to dramatically expand the state’s energy capacity—an estimated 10,000 megawatts of new power, roughly comparable to adding two Plant Vogtle nuclear units. Much of this expansion is aimed at supplying the rapidly growing demand from data centers across Georgia. Durand has been a vocal critic of these facilities, arguing that they strain the grid and lead to consumer rate hikes. She currently leads the watchdog organization Georgia Utility Watch, which monitors utility practices and regulatory decisions.

Surveillance footage from the day of the hearing shows Durand entering a conference room wearing a brown jacket. In the video, she approaches a table, picks up a booklet, examines it briefly, then sets it down and moves across the room. Moments later, she appears to take another booklet from a different table, slip it into her bag, and exit the room. Georgia Power claims the booklet contained confidential information the company considers a trade secret.

In a GPB interview earlier this year, Durand criticized what she described as excessive secrecy surrounding Georgia Power’s contracts with major data centers. She argued that the PSC routinely allows such agreements to be heavily redacted, making it impossible for the public to understand how much large energy consumers are paying—or whether ordinary ratepayers are subsidizing them.

“The contracts between Georgia Power and the data centers are shielded from public scrutiny,” she said. “The redactions are so extensive that no one outside the company can determine what these customers are actually being charged.”

Authorities have not publicly explained what they believe Durand intended to do with the material she allegedly removed. Georgia Power has stated that it is cooperating fully with investigators as they review the incident.

The Georgia Recorder, covering the same PSC hearings, reported that Georgia Power’s requested expansion would rely on a mix of natural gas and renewable energy—approximately 60 percent gas generation and 40 percent solar or other renewable sources. The request has sparked intense debate, with critics arguing that the company is steering the state toward expensive fossil-fuel projects at the expense of cleaner alternatives.

During Tuesday’s hearing, before her arrest, Durand criticized Georgia Power’s long-term strategy, asserting that the company’s proposals benefit its corporate affiliates more than Georgia consumers. She argued that building yet another fleet of natural-gas facilities would enrich the utility’s related gas companies while shifting costs onto households. She also insisted that solar power and battery storage offer a more responsible path for Georgia’s energy future.

Durand did not hold back in her remarks. She accused Georgia Power of engaging in behavior she described as “immoral,” claiming that any other court system would reject such conduct outright. “I don’t understand why the state allows this kind of corruption,” she told commissioners.

Georgia Republican Party Chairman Josh McKoon strongly criticized Durand after the news of her arrest became public. In a statement shared through the Daily Mail, McKoon said, “Patty Durand built her brand on attacking the Public Service Commission, and now she’s been arrested for stealing from it.” He accused her of posing as a watchdog while taking confidential documents during an active proceeding, contrasting her actions with what he described as Republicans’ efforts to keep energy affordable.

Durand’s political ties have drawn additional attention. Her campaign website displays a photo of her standing alongside Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, a frequent target of conservative critics. Several months earlier, Ossoff himself made headlines when he hired a senior counsel who had publicly expressed support for expanded benefits for undocumented immigrants, a move opponents highlighted during debates over the federal budget and a potential government shutdown.

Durand’s arrest comes at a time when several Democratic figures nationwide have faced legal trouble. One such case involved Minnesota state senator Nicole Mitchell, who was convicted of felony burglary in July after breaking into her stepmother’s home. Mitchell claimed the break-in was an attempt to retrieve items belonging to her late father while her stepmother was dealing with Alzheimer’s symptoms.

As for Durand, the investigation into the alleged theft of Georgia Power materials is ongoing, and prosecutors have not yet announced whether additional charges will be filed. The controversy has added another layer of tension to already contentious debates over energy policy, transparency, and corporate influence in Georgia’s utility sector.