Courtney Hjaltman, who previously represented residential and small consumer customers in proceedings at the Public Utility Commission of Texas, was sworn in as a commissioner at the agency on Wednesday. Her term will expire on Sept. 1, 2025.
Hjaltman was appointed chief executive and public counsel for the Office of Public Utility Counsel, or OPUC, in 2022, and prior to that she served as deputy legislative director for Gov. Greg Abbott, R, who announced her appointment to the PUCT on Monday
Hjaltman joins the commission at a time of significant growth in Texas, with expanding industry and population expected to drive a rise in electricity demand. The state’s grid operator expects about 152 GW of new load by 2030.
Hjaltman’s “extensive legal expertise makes her the ideal choice,” Abbott said in a statement. She also previously served as a chief of staff in the Texas House of Representatives, and was a legislative staffer in the Texas Senate, for members on the Senate and House Natural Resources Committees, Senate Select Committee on Water Policy, and House State Affairs Committee.
The PUCT does “vital work to ensure critical utilities are reliable and affordable for all Texas consumers. That mission has been important to me throughout my career,” Hjaltman said in a statement.
This is not the first time Abbott has appointed a PUCT member from OPUC. Commissioner Lori Cobos led the public counsel’s office prior to her appointment, noted Cyrus Reed, conservation director of the Sierra Club’s Lone Star Chapter.
“[I] think it’s a good choice frankly. Having spent time at OPUC should make her aware of cost concerns,” Reed said in an email.
Hjaltman pointed to those concerns at a Texas Senate Committee on Business and Commerce hearing this month, the Houston Chronicle reported. Economic and population growth are both good, she said, but “in the end, that is going to be on the consumer that pays for it.”
Hjaltman replaces Commissioner Will McAdams, who was the first commissioner appointed to the reconstituted PUCT after its members resigned in 2021 following Winter Storm Uri. McAdams retired last year.
