A prominent and vocal critic of Georgia Power Co., Patty Durand, was arrested Tuesday on felony charges alleging she stole confidential company information during a break in a regulatory hearing.

Georgia Capitol Police arrested Durand, a resident of Mableton, Georgia, and charged her with felony theft of trade secrets. The charge stems from allegations that Durand swiped confidential documents belonging to Georgia Power from a desk while attendees of a state regulatory hearing were on recess.

Police booked Durand into the Fulton County Jail. Online records showed that as of Wednesday afternoon, Durand remained jailed with no bail set. She did not immediately respond to a text message seeking comment regarding the arrest.

Durand has long been a fixture in state energy debates, regularly challenging Georgia Power’s rate proposals, plant construction projects, and environmental practices before the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC). Her advocacy has often placed her in direct opposition to the state’s largest utility provider and its parent company, Southern Company.

The felony charge of theft of trade secrets in Georgia carries significant penalties upon conviction, including imprisonment of between one and five years and a fine of up to $50,000.

The arrest marks a dramatic escalation in the long-running tension between customer advocates and the tightly regulated utility, moving the conflict from the hearing room to the criminal courts. Neither Georgia Power nor the Georgia Public Service Commission has issued an immediate public statement regarding the arrest.