The state’s consumer advocate represents customers of utilities such as Hawaiian Electric and Hawaiian Telcom, scrutinizing requests for rate increases or projects that will lead to rate changes, among other duties. And Hawaii has a new leader in this position.

Michael S. Angelo assumed his post as executive director of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Division of Consumer Advocacy on July 17. Hawaii’s utility customers will depend on Angelo to help keep rates fair and to keep Hawaii pressing forward in the transformation to clean energy — so his background in analyzing utility proposals and in scrutinizing clean energy processes will come in handy.