Ms.
Dolese’s vast knowledge of customer protection issues has also been
instrumental in the agency’s implementation of the Texas Electric Choice
Customer Education Campaign.
Ms. Dolese was
responsible for the implementation of the both telecommunications and electric
customer protection rules stemming from both Senate Bill 86 (Customer
Protection) and Senate Bill 7 (Electric Restructuring) both passed by the 77th
session of the Texas Legislature in 1999.
In fact, her
work in leading the rulemaking team for the Electric Restructuring Customer
Protection Rules, won praise from all sides, including the Commissioners.
Upon final rule adoption, former Chairman Patrick Wood (now chairman of
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) praised Ms. Dolese personally for her
efforts in striking a fair balance among the competing interests.
Chairman Wood went on to observe that “this is one of the most solid
performances I’ve ever seen from a Staff team at this Commission.’
Both former Commission Judy Walsh and Commissioner Brett Perlman seconded
this high praise.
Upon
completion of that major effort, Ms. Dolese was asked to lead a small team of
staff to facilitate the transition to the retail electric market.
In this capacity, Ms. Dolese served as a commission representative to the
Electric Reliability Council of Texas’ (ERCOT) Retail Market Subcommittee and
provided guidance on issues directly impacting the delivery of electric service
to retail customers to both this group and the Commissioners.
On the
telecommunications front, Ms. Dolese recently settled a landmark enforcement
action on behalf of the agency that included the largest administrative penalty
ever assessed against a retail service provider in Texas, a first-ever direct
refund of monies to affected customers, and groundbreaking requirements for
complaint-volume thresholds and customer education.
Ms. Dolese is widely acknowledged as one of the best “armchair lawyers” the PUCT
and many of her REP clients have
ever employed, and is known for her straightforward and professional approach.
She has a reputation for being able to quickly identify a problem, craft
a solution that honors the “spirit of the law,” and succinctly summarize
relevant issues to all key decision-makers and other affected parties.
Beyond her work at
the PUCT, Ms. Dolese has been active with the National Association of Regulatory
Utility Commissioners Staff Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, facilitating and
organizing panel discussions on “Detariffing” and “Electric Customer
Protection Best Practices.” Ms.
Dolese was also instrumental in working to facilitate the state opt-in process
for slamming enforcement. In her
work with the staff subcommittee, Ms. Dolese has been Chair of the State
National Action Plan (SNAP) group, which aims to improve enforcement and
education activities between the states and the Federal Communications
Commission. In 2001, her peers
elected Ms. Dolese as Vice-Chair of the staff subcommittee.
Ms. Dolese received
a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas and her MBA from the University of Notre Dame.
Contact Trish:
Regulatory Compliance Services: (512) 275-6442;
pdolese@your-rcs.com