Warnick's achievements as counsel to the committee included a victory before the Utah Supreme Court that resulted in the refund of $29 million to 750,000 Questar Gas customers in 2004, amounting to roughly $37 to $38 per customer. In March, Warnick helped negotiate a deal reached with PacifiCorp that resulted in roughly $32 million in cost savings to customers stemming from a tax dispute.

Yet Warnick has detractors. Chief among them is Claire Geddes, who served as a member of the search committee and would like to see someone from outside government fill the post.

Geddes said Warnick refused to sue the governor after the March 2005 firing of Roger Ball, the director of the committee prior to Reberg. And Geddes points to a Questar dispute in which Warnick argued against Geddes and Ball from having "standing" or a say in the case.

"One of the mandates of the committee is that they are there to help citizens represent themselves in front of the Public Service Commission," Geddes said. "I didn't expect their help, but I didn't expect that they would go in there and fight our input. Anytime you have the committee trying to scuffle citizens bringing in any kind of information, you've got a problem."

Geddes said she prefers someone like Sue Ashdown, who was a lobbyist for Internet service providers before Congress and public service commissions across the country.

"I'm really familiar with how the regulatory process works and somewhat disillusioned with how the regulatory process works, which is why I think it is really important to have somebody who is willing to be a strong advocate," Ashdown said. "I think one of the pressing issues going forward is to communicate to the public that the committee is there for them and that their participation is welcome."

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E-mail: danderton@desnews.com