Richard Rauschmeier

Richard Rauschmeier has served as Deputy Director of Water, Communications and Broadband at the Public Advocates Office since June 2025. In this role, he oversees the Water Branch and the Communications and Broadband Policy Branch.

Richard previously served as Program Manager of the Water Branch. During his nearly twenty years with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), he has advocated for ratepayers and the public interest in the areas of energy, water, and telecommunications. He has served as an expert witness, project coordinator, and oversight supervisor in more than fifty CPUC proceedings and has testified on many aspects of utility regulation, including cost of capital, industry consolidation, and alternative ratemaking.

Richard is a participating member of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates (NASUCA) Water and Accounting Committees. He holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Johns Hopkins University and a Master of Science in Finance from Purdue University.