Sheri Givens

Sheri Givens was appointed Public Counsel for the Texas Office of Public Utility Counsel (OPUC) by Governor Rick Perry in December 2009.  The Public Counsel is appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate and acts independently of the Public Utility Commission of Texas.  For more than 25 years, the agency has worked to achieve high-quality utility service at a reasonable cost, for residential and small business customers. Under Ms. Givens’ leadership, OPUC has continued its proactive role in representing the interests of electric and telecommunications ratepayers of Texas.

Ms. Givens brings the unique experience and expertise of her positions as an assistant public counsel at OPUC, assistant general counsel at the Texas Workforce Commission, a senior policy attorney at the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and a Legislative Fellow for the University of Houston Law Center’s Health Law & Policy Institute.  Between college and law school, she worked for the Texas Legislature, Texas Office of the Attorney General, and a Houston law firm.

During Ms. Givens’ initial year as Public Counsel, OPUC tackled a number of difficult and complex issues involving rate cases, customer protection rules, and advanced metering, professionally and competently representing Texas ratepayers’ interests in all these matters.  In addition, OPUC has been an active participant on behalf of utility consumers in many forums, providing information and testimony to help shape sound energy policies, both state and federal.

Ms. Givens is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Houston Law Center.  As the Public Counsel, she serves ex officio on the boards of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas and the Texas Reliability Entity.  Ms. Givens is a member of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates and National Association of Corporate Directors. She also serves on the Electric Power Research Institute’s Energy Efficiency/Smart Grid Public Advisory Group and the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative.