Attorney General Dave Sunday Names Darryl Lawrence To Serve As PA Consumer Advocate For Public Utility Issues

On March 18, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced his nomination of Darryl Lawrence to serve as Pennsylvania’s Consumer Advocate.

If confirmed by the Pennsylvania State Senate, Lawrence will represent Commonwealth consumers in public utility service quality and pricing matters.

Lawrence has served as interim Consumer Advocate since February 1 and previously held the position as Senior Assistant Consumer Advocate for the office. He has been with the office since June 2005.

“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,” Attorney General Sunday said. “Darryl has dedicated his career to advocating on behalf of Pennsylvanians who otherwise may not have a voice in the regulatory, judicial, and legislative processes. During his time with the Office of Consumer Advocate he established a reputation for being tough, fair, and honest. I’m confident that the Commonwealth will be well served by his leadership for this important agency.”

The Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate was established by the General Assembly in 1976 to serve as the legal representative for all utility ratepayers in the Commonwealth.

The Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate is housed in the Office of Attorney General, but functions independently. 

The Office of Consumer Advocate has discretion and authority to intervene in litigation on its own behalf, and has actively participated in matters before the Pennsylvania Utility Commission and in state and federal courts.

“To be nominated for a permanent role as Pennsylvania’s Consumer Advocate is indeed an honor,” Acting Consumer Advocate Darryl Lawrence said. “I take on this new role with a profound sense of duty to always advocate for the best interests of Pennsylvania consumers.”

Public utilities include electric, natural gas, water, wastewater, and telecom companies under either Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission or Federal Energy Regulatory Commission jurisdiction.

Click Here for a copy of the announcement.

[Posted: March 18, 2025]  PA Environment Digest