Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Benjamin Barkley as Chief Executive and Public Counsel of the Office of Public Utility Counsel (OPUC) for a term set to expire on February 1, 2025. OPUC represents residential and small commercial consumers in the electric, telecommunications, water and wastewater utility industries in Texas. The Public Counsel oversees the overall operation of OPUC and leads OPUC’s representation of consumers in utility matters at state and federal regulatory agencies and courts.

Benjamin Barkley of Austin is an assistant general counsel for the Office of the Governor (OOG). Previously, he served as a policy advisor for the OOG, general counsel and committee clerk to a Texas State Senator, and as an assistant district attorney for the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas. Barkley received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Honor Studies from The University of Texas at San Antonio and a Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School.