Hill is a scientist, engineer and researchers who has worked the last 18 years for Arizona State University's Mars Space Flight Facility. In his work he has mapped salt flats on Mars and taken the controls of cameras and other instruments on Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity.
"I think the Commission needs to take into account the financial health of all of the ratepayers across the state much more than they currently are." Jonathon Hill
Hill says his scientific expertise would add to the decision-making capabilities of the Arizona Corporation Commission, bringing a technical understanding of some of the issues and cases that come before the body.
Hill believes the current Commission has been overly concerned with covering utility spending versus taking into account the financial health of rate payers burdened by increasing costs. He says he'd like to see more balance in the approach to rate cases that come before the Commission.
While rate increase requests by large companies, like Arizona Public Service Company, reasonably garner a lot of attention, Hill notes the vast majority of rates cases before the Commission come from smaller utility companies, mostly small water companies, but many smaller electric co-ops in Arizona rural communities. Hill says the Commission has failed to address the struggles of many of these small providers, who often lack a large client base to help pay for some of the vital infrastructure needs and repairs they need.
"I've been talking to people in rural Arizona that have seen 40, 50, 60 percent increases, through electric co-ops. And that really stresses people on fixed incomes." Jonathon Hill
We spoke with Hill following his participation in the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Arizona Corporation Commission debate on September 3rd.
Hill says the debate was not surprising to him, as Republican candidates defended votes to raise rates on electricity in recent high-profile cases and Democrats attempted to paint their votes as unbalanced in favor of corporation requests. Hill notes the Commission often disregards the recommendations of its own internal Residential Utility Consumer Office, which has recommended votes against many of the rate case requests that have come before the Commission in recent years.
This is an extended conversation with Mr. Hill. A portion of the conversation aired on KAWC's Arizona Edition Friday program on Sept. 6, 2024.
