Governor Greg Abbott appointed Lori Cobos to serve as Commissioner on the Public Utility Commission of Texas on June 17, 2021.
Prior to her appointment, Cobos served as Chief Executive and Public Counsel for the Office of Public Utility Counsel (OPUC) by appointment of Governor Abbott. During her tenure at OPUC, she elevated the agency's profile and strengthened the agency's legal representation, policy advocacy, and consumer outreach and assistance. Under her leadership, OPUC effectively represented residential and small commercial consumers before the PUCT, State Office of Administrative Hearings, state court, and Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), as an ex officio member of the ERCOT Board of Directors. Through the litigation of electric and water utility cases, OPUC helped achieve over $1.3 Billion in utility bill savings for residential and small commercial consumers in Texas, which included an agency record of approximately $1.179 Billion in 2020.
At the PUCT, Cobos serves as an ex officio member of the ERCOT Board of Directors and serves on the Regional State Committee of the Southwest Power Pool. Cobos is the President of the Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (SEARUC). She has also served on the Executive Committee of the Organization of MISO States and as President of the Entergy Regional States Committee.
Cobos has 20 years of broad experience in the Texas electric power industry in both the public and private sector. Cobos has served in several senior-level positions at the PUCT, including serving as an advisor for two PUCT Commissioners, assistant counsel to the PUCT Executive Director, and senior policy analyst, and served as in-house counsel at ERCOT. In the private sector, Cobos has served as a director of government and regulatory affairs for a power generation company and as principal owner of her own legal and consulting firm, where she assisted clients with legal, regulatory, public policy, legislative, and business development matters in the Texas electric power industry.
Cobos is a member of the State Bar of Texas and has served as the chair of the Public Utility Law Section. Cobos received a J.D. from Texas Tech University and was a member of the Texas Tech Law Review. Cobos received an M.A. in Public Administration and a B.B.A. in General Business, with Magna Cum Laude honors, from Sul Ross State University and served on Sul Ross's Alumni Board. Cobos served on the Board of Directors of Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation by appointment of Governor Abbott. She is a native of Alpine, Texas.