Benjamin Barkley has been reappointed to the Office of Public Utility Counsel (OPUC) as chief executive and public counsel. His term will expire Feb. 1, 2027.
As public counsel, Barkley will handle OPUC’s overall operations and spearhead the office’s consumer representation in utility matters at state and federal regulatory agencies and courts. OPUC is responsible for representing residential and small commercial consumers in the electric, telecommunications, water and wastewater utility industries across the state.
Barkley’s reappointment will allow him to retain his current position as chief executive and public counsel. Before joining OPUC, he worked as the assistant general counsel and public advisor for the Office of the Governor.
Other roles held throughout his career include senior policy adviser, general counsel and committee clerk to a Texas state senator. He also previously served as an assistant district attorney for the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office.
Barkley is a current member of the State Bar of Texas. He earned a law degree from Boston College Law School and a bachelor’s degree in political science and honors studies from The University of Texas at San Antonio.
(Photo courtesy of Daniel Ziegler.)
