Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday appointed Lori Cobos, chief executive and public counsel for the Office of Public Utility Counsel (OPUC), to the Public Utility Commission for a term that expires in less than three months.
Cobos’ appointment fills out the current commission, which has completely turned over since February’s winter storm nearly flattened the ERCOT grid. The previous three commissioners all resigned under political and public pressure in March. (See D’Andrea Resigns from Texas Commission.)
Because her appointment comes between legislative sessions, she can begin serving without Senate confirmation once she is sworn in and completes her training. She will sit beside Chairman Peter Lake and Commissioner Will McAdams before her term expires Sept. 1.
State legislators passed a bill that would expand the PUC to five commissioners and require two of them to be “well informed and qualified in the field of public utilities and utility regulation.”
Cobos has led the OPUC, which represents residential and small commercial consumers’ interests in state utility proceedings, since April 2019. The organization has been credited with helping achieve more than $1.3 billion in utility bill savings before the PUC during her tenure, including an agency record of almost $1.2 billion in 2020.
“I know that she will draw upon her wealth of experience and knowledge to faithfully serve the people of Texas,” Abbott said in a statement. “Throughout her career, Lori has gleaned valuable experience in the power and utility industries. Her most recent leadership role at OPUC makes her a perfect choice for the Public Utility Commission.”
Cobos has more than 17 years of experience in the Texas electric power industry and previously served in several senior-level positions at the PUC. She advised two PUC commissioners and served as assistant counsel to the commission’s executive director and senior policy analyst in the policy development division. Cobos has also been an in-house counsel for ERCOT.
Cobos will give up a voting position on the grid operator’s board that is allocated to the OPUC. The PUC chair serves as a non-voting representative on the board.
She received her law degree from Texas Tech University, and her master’s in public administration and bachelor’s in business administration from Sul Ross State University.
