June 29, 2017
Carson City, NV – Today, Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt announced the appointment of Ernest Figueroa as Nevada’s State Consumer Advocate and head of the Bureau of Consumer Protection. Effective July 1, 2017, Figueroa will replace Eric Witkoski, who served as Nevada’s Consumer Advocate since 2005 and whose term ends on June 30, 2017.
“Energy and consumer protection are at the forefront of issues that impact Nevadans,” said Laxalt. “Mr. Figueroa will bring an innovative perspective to the job of protecting Nevada’s ratepayers and consumers as the State evaluates the changing competitive market forces and new technologies.”
In addition to its advocacy before the Public Utilities Commission on behalf of Nevada's ratepayers, the Bureau of Consumer Protection enforces various consumer protection statutes on behalf of the State of Nevada and its residents, including deceptive trade and antitrust laws.
Figueroa began his State service in 2001 as a Deputy Attorney General with the Bureau of Consumer Protection, most recently serving as a Chief Deputy Attorney General with the Bureau. Figueroa has worked on numerous issues protecting Nevada’s consumers, and has represented Nevada utility ratepayers in electricity and natural gas cases in the areas of cost of capital, depreciation and revenue requirement phases. He has also testified before the Legislature on behalf of Nevada’s ratepayers and consumers. Figueroa’s previous duties included managing the Civil Fraud Unit, where he played an instrumental role in the successful resolution of several high profile cases, including the National Mortgage Settlement, State of Nevada v. Bank of America, HSBC and JPMorgan Chase, all resulting in important relief for Nevada and its citizens. He also previously served as Nevada’s representative on the National Multistate Settlement Monitoring Committee.
“I am humbled by this appointment and look forward to realigning the Bureau in order to dynamically protect residential ratepayers and Nevada consumers as Nevada’s energy market becomes increasingly competitive in the presence of emerging new technologies and energy innovation,” added Figueroa.
Figueroa received his undergraduate degree in Economics from Claremont McKenna College in 1994 and his juris doctorate from the California Western School of Law in 1996.
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