FIVE ERCOT BOARD MEMBERS RESIGN FOLLOWING WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES

  

Five members of the board of directors for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) – which maintains and operates the state’s electrical grid – are resigning today (Wednesday).

According to a notice filed Tuesday with the Public Utility Commission of Texas, Board Chairwoman Sally Talberg, Vice Chairman Peter Cramton, and board members Raymond Hepper, Terry Bulger and Vanessa Anesetti-Parra will resign at an emergency meeting today.  In addition, Craig Ivey is withdrawing his candidacy from the board.

The resignations come a week after millions of Texans lost electricity during a historic winter storm, prompting Texas lawmakers to call for an investigation into ERCOT.  A joint hearing between the House State Affairs and Energy Resources Committees is scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday).

None of the individuals who resigned from the board or withdrew their candidacy live in Texas.

In a joint letter attached to the Public Utility Commission notice, Talberg, Cramton, Bulger and Hepper said they have noted public concerns about the out-of-state board leadership, and are resigning to “allow state leaders a free hand with future direction and to eliminate distractions.”

Governor Greg Abbott welcomed these resignations, saying, “When Texans were in desperate need of electricity, ERCOT failed to do its job and Texans were left shivering in their homes without power. ERCOT leadership made assurances that Texas' power infrastructure was prepared for the winter storm, but those assurances proved to be devastatingly false.”