The Office of Consumer Services hires expert witnesses to perform special studies and appear in rate cases to represent the public consumer utility user perspective. These hearings are cyclical in nature based on requests for increases in rates by Utility Firms. These funds have traditionally been non-lapsing and have been appropriated in a separate line item.
During the 2015 General Session, the Legislature appropriated for Fiscal Year 2016, $800,200 from all sources for Office of Consumer Services Professional and Technical Services. This is a 20 percent reduction from Fiscal Year 2015 revised estimated amounts from all sources.
Funding for the Office of Consumer Services Professional and Technical Services program comes from the Public Utilities Regulatory Fund.
COBI contains unaudited data as presented to the Legislature by state agencies at the time of publication. For audited financial data see the State of Utah's Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports.