Attorney from Lawrence to represent consumers in utility, regulatory cases / LJWorld.com

Archive for Monday, January 6, 2003

January 6, 2003

Topeka — It's a good thing Lawrence resident David Springe enjoys the underdog role.

As the new consumer counsel of the Citizens Utility Ratepayer Board, Springe, 38, will be leading the charge to represent consumers in utility, telephone and other regulatory issues before the Kansas Corporation Commission.

The five-person CURB staff frequently faces legions of $300-an-hour attorneys and hired guns from the likes of Westar Energy, SBC and Sprint.

But so far, CURB has held its own in the David vs. Goliath battles.

"We are tasked with a very large responsibility, and it's a constant resource battle," Springe said. "Frankly, we are hopelessly outgunned, but you look at our results."

During the past year, the KCC, with CURB pushing every inch of the way, ordered a restructuring of Westar Energy in a way that CURB says will benefit ratepayers by relieving debt from the utilities.

Springe had been working as chief economist at CURB for four years under consumer counsel Walker Hendrix. Hendrix announced he was leaving in December, and CURB's board put Springe in Hendrix's position.

On Dec. 31, Gov. Bill Graves made it official, appointing Springe to the job that pays $74,186 per year. The move came with the approval of Gov.-elect Kathleen Sebelius, who will be sworn into office Jan. 13.

Springe commutes to his office in the KCC building from Lawrence. His wife, Margaret, is a stay-at-home mom with their three children, Anna, 8, Ellis, 6, and Isaac, 3.

Springe grew up in Leavenworth and received bachelor's and master's degrees in economics from Kansas University. While working on his master's, he also earned a law degree at KU.

David Springe, Lawrence, moves into his new office at the Kansas Corporation Commission in Topeka. He has been named consumer counsel of CURB, the state agency that represents consumers to utility and phone companies. Previously, he was the agency's chief economist for four years.

"David is one of the brightest minds in the utility business," said attorney Jim Zakoura, who frequently represents companies before the KCC. "There are many times we are on the same side and sometimes we are on different sides, but on all occasions he represents his client group very well."

Before working for CURB, Springe was an economist for the KCC for six years.

The seemingly endless legal battles that CURB is involved in over arcane regulations may not capture the public's imagination, but the results always affect consumers' pocket books.

For example, CURB is involved in a fight with telecommunication companies over the process of how the KCC will consider requests by the companies to shed certain services. The fight is over what kind of deadlines should be allowed and what kind of expert testimony will be accepted.

"These procedures will have huge implications for consumers," Springe said. "Being the underdog can be trying sometimes, but I get a lot of satisfaction over what we do here."