VALDOSTA — John Hitchins’ grandmother taught him the meaning of the word thrifty.

She grew up during the Depression and learned how to make a little go a long way, he said. She instilled in him the desire to be efficient in everything he did, and that is why he decided to run for Public Service Commission to stand up to what he sees as wasteful Georgia utilities.

Hitchins said he believes the PSC, which regulates state utility companies such as Georgia Power, has lost its way. He said the PSC is working for the utilities instead of the people, and he wants to change that.

He is a Republican candidate for the Public Service Commission for Georgia District 5. He is running against the incumbent Tricia Pridemore in the May 22 primary race.

Pridemore is part of the reason Hitchins decided to enter the race. She was appointed to the PSC by Gov. Nathan Deal in February after Stan Wise stepped down.

“Wise stepped down prior to the end of his term so that the governor could appoint someone, so they could run as the incumbent,” Hitchins said. “It didn’t pass the smell test. That’s not how the system is supposed to work.”

Wise was District 5 PSC representative for 23 years, and voted in favor of expanding the controversial nuclear Plant Vogtle just before stepping down. The expansion was first approved back in July 2012 and has been plagued with delays and a growing price tag ever since.

Hitchins is critical of the decision to keep investing in Plant Vogtle. He said it is a clear sign the PSC holds the utility companies’ interests over the taxpayers.

To make his point, he carries an electric bill around in his coat pocket that shows how much he, as an Atlanta resident, pays each month to the Vogtle project.

“You can see it right there,” Hitchins said, pointing to the bill. “Twelve dollars a month to the nuclear construction cost recovery, or as I like to call it, the Vogtle tax. This is the problem. It sets a precedent that the taxpayers foot the bill for large utility projects.”

Hitchins is an Atlanta native. He has a degree from the University of Georgia and has worked in conservation, in one form or another, since graduating from college.

He has worked to make sure businesses, churches and non-profits are running efficiently for years and wants to bring that to the PSC, he said.

“What makes me different from the current PSC is that my funding does not come from the people I’m supposed to be regulating,” Hitchins said. “I’m an outsider. I’m not the status quo. I’ll put taxpayers over the utilities.”

Thomas Lynn is a government and education reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be reached at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256