Our Office

The Maryland Office of People’s Counsel (OPC) was created in 1924 and is the oldest office of its kind in the U.S. The People’s Counsel is appointed by the Attorney General, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and acts independently of the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) and the Office of Attorney General. OPC is a State of Maryland agency, that works independently to represent Maryland’s residential consumers of electric, natural gas, telecommunications, private water and certain transportation matters before the PSC, federal regulatory agencies, and the courts.

OPC’s main job is to represent the interests of Maryland’s residential utility customers. It does this by getting involved in cases about utility prices, service quality, and supply. The agency works in front of the PSC, federal agencies, and in court. This work affects almost every Maryland resident.

OPC primarily functions as a law office. It has a team of lawyers and also hires experts in fields like accounting, engineering, and economics. These experts help by writing reports and giving professional opinions in hearings. Their work is very important to help OPC represent consumers.

OPC is funded through the state budget, but the money doesn’t come from taxes. However, the State’s General Fund is fully reimbursed for OPC’s expenses from revenue collected in the Public Utility Regulation Fund. These revenues are collected from all regulated utility companies and licensed energy suppliers.