Page 16 - OPC_FlipBook

FIRST PEOPLE’S COUNSEL
Annice M. Wagner (1975-1977)
Annice M. Wagner was a consummate trailblazer and the first appointed People’s Counsel when OPC was re-established in 1975. A native Washingtonian, Wagner graduated from Dunbar High School
in 1955 and earned her undergraduate and law degrees at Wayne State University in 1959 and 1962, respectively. Her tenure as People’s Counsel set the tone of advocacy, education, and protection that would define OPC’s mission, approach, and operations into the next century. Wagner defined the importance of consumer protection and etched OPC’s legacy of ratepayer protection and support. The Consumer
Bill of Rights was Wagner’s brainchild. She filed a petition that sought approval of consumer protection rules in 1975. The PSC adopted these regulations in 1979, and they have since become the cornerstone of consumer protections for utility consumers in the District.
Following her tenure at OPC, Wagner had a storied judicial career. She became a judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in June 1977, and in 1990, she was elevated to the Court of Appeals. She was designated chief judge in 1994, becoming the country’s first African American woman chief justice at the state level. The District of Columbia Bar Association established the Annice M. Wagner Pioneer Award in her honor to recognize her extraordinary community and public service contributions.
OPC’s First Opportunity to Advocate
OPC had its first opportunity to flex its advocacy muscles in 1975, during Judge Wagner’s tenure. Against the backdrop of stagflation caused by the combination of high consumer price inflation, stagnant economic growth, and rising unemployment — made worse by an energy crisis — OPC represented residential ratepayers in their first-ever electricity rate case against the Potomac Electric Power Company (Pepco). The utility had sought a substantial $50.83 million rate increase, citing declining energy sales and conservation efforts as the reason for reduced earnings.12 OPC opposed the rate hike, arguing that the increase was unnecessary and served only to boost Pepco’s revenue at ratepayers’ expense.
On November 12, 1975, the PSC denied a substantial part of Pepco’s rate increase request. This groundbreaking case marked a victory for OPC because it secured fair electricity rates for D.C. residents and set a standard for later cases.
OPC’s Journey to Protect Utility Consumers 15