11/10/03

States not listed either don't have an operation independent of utility regulators or don't have one at all:

Attorney general's office or its regulatory or consumer protection division represents ratepayers:

Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania", Tennessee, Virginia, Washington

Office of Consumers' Counsel (sometimes called Consumer Advocate, People's Counsel, Public Advocate, Ratepayer Advocate, or Residential Utility Advocate) is an independent agency, though sometimes the advocate is appointed by the governor:

Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, Vermont, Wyoming

An independent Citizens' Utility Board represents ratepayers:

Illinois, Kansas, Oregon, Utah

Consumer Protection Board is run through governor's office:

New York

Consumers represented through state consumer affairs department:

Georgia, Hawaii, South Carolina

An independent office within the Public Utilities Commission is assigned to represent ratepayers:

California, West Virginia

" Administratively tied to attorney general's office, but with independent authority

%%bodybegin%%SOURCE: National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates