Attorney General Dave Sunday has nominated Darryl Lawrence for the position of Pennsylvania's Consumer Advocate. Lawrence, who has been serving as interim Consumer Advocate since February 1, will need confirmation from the Pennsylvania State Senate to take on the role permanently. His responsibilities would include representing consumers in matters related to public utility service quality and pricing.
Lawrence joined the Office of Consumer Advocate in June 2005 and previously served as Senior Assistant Consumer Advocate. Attorney General Sunday expressed confidence in Lawrence's abilities, stating, "I promised I would have an open and transparent process to appoint a Consumer Advocate. We accepted numerous applications, held interviews with qualified applicants, and received extensive feedback from stakeholders. I am convinced that Darryl has all the tools required to advocate for the best interests of Pennsylvania consumers because that is what he has always done."
The Office of Consumer Advocate was created by the General Assembly in 1976 to represent utility ratepayers legally. Although it operates independently within the Office of Attorney General, it can intervene in litigation independently and participates actively before regulatory bodies like the Pennsylvania Utility Commission.
Darryl Lawrence expressed his commitment to his new role: "To be nominated for a permanent role as Pennsylvania’s Consumer Advocate is indeed an honor," he said. "I take on this new role with a profound sense of duty to always advocate for the best interests of Pennsylvania consumers."
The office deals with issues involving electric, natural gas, water, wastewater, and telecom companies under state or federal jurisdiction.