/ CBS News. At a time when newsroom resources and revenue across the country are declining, The Texas Tribune remains committed to sustaining our mission: creating a more engaged and informed Texas with every story we cover, every event we convene and every newsletter we send. eventAction: 'click_image_ads' Raymond Hepper was listed as a retired general counsel and officer for a New England company. The ERCOT website biographies prior to being pulled down listed ERCOT Chair Sally Talbert as a former state utility regulator in Michigan. While his decision was lauded by many, a few others backfired the blame towards him, for deregulating and privatizing ERCOT, and thereby hampering its operational efficiency. if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ Ms. Heeg is an experienced corporate director and business leader who serves on the board of WhiteWater Midstream, a privately held natural gas infrastructure company. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has repeatedly blamed the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) for the power failures, and has called for an investigation into the council. A spokesperson tells ABC13 the board and senior leaders were getting threats because of the anger over the widespread power outages. Craig Ivey, who was a candidate to serve on the board, has also rescinded his candidacy, effective Tuesday, to "avoid becoming a distraction." We will ensure that the disastrous events of last week are never repeated.. Four board members of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) have resigned amid backlash for the grid operator's handling of last week's winter storms. Clarification, Feb. 23, 2021 at 5:51 p.m.: Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. They have erupted in virtual protests and outrage against ERCOT all over the Internet. That screams conflict of interest and sweetheart deals.. She served until December 31, 2020, the day she became the ERCOT chairman, according to the MPSC. Vice Chair Peter Cramton is a professor at the University of Cologne in Germany and the University of Maryland. DALLAS A third of the board of directors that operate the state's electrical grid do not appear to live in Texas, and their performance in wake of widespread outages has led to a. Places with much colder climates than Texas use wind turbines with no issues. A CVS Pharmacy in South Austin is lit only by the lights of a parked car. Other ERCOT board members who records indicate live out-of-state include: WFAA asked ERCOT for their board member contact phone numbers and emails, but did not receive a response. Vice . 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ERCOT leadership made assurances that Texas' power infrastructure was prepared for the winter storm, but those assurances proved to be devastatingly false," Abbott said. ERCOT Chair Sally Talberg lives in Michigan and served on the Michigan Public Service Commission until 2020, according to her ERCOT biography. @ERCOT_ISO Board of Directors elected newcomer @SallyTalberg to a three-year term as its chair and six-year veteran Peter Cramton as its vice chair. And in a historic and life-threatening cold snap, it's still unknown when millions will get the heat back on in their homes. "We have noted recent concerns about out-of-state board leadership at ERCOT. "I doubt you could find an expert anywhere that would say eliminating the independent experts from the ERCOT board was an improvement," Cramton said. Talbert began serving as an unaffiliated director on the ERCOT Board on Jan. 1, 2021, and Cramton served as an unaffiliated director since October 2015, according to an ERCOT press release. None of them lives in Texas. At the same time, Peter Cramton was named vice chair. North Texas State Rep. Jeff . Praying for everyone there. Anesetti-Parra lives in Toronto. 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ERCOT is governed by a board of directors and subject to oversight by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) and the Texas Legislature. Three other ERCOT board members also appear to. Ivey, whose appointment was approved by ERCOT's members but was pending final approval from the PUC, is retired from more than three decades of experience in the utilities industry. pic.twitter.com/Mt2GPlaFuE. eventAction: 'click_ads' }); The only requirement is that appointees live in Texas. In addition, Vanessa Anesetti-Parra, the market segment director for the independent retail electric provider market segment, will also resign her position as a board member. The thought of some Californian voting on our energy market doesnt sit well. But coal is more reliable than just about anything else when you need it most. "We will ensure that the disastrous events of last week are never repeated," he said. Whether you lost power or not, Texans could see higher bills, No, wind and solar power are not the main causes of Texas' power outages despite Gov. Bulger lives inWheaton, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, and Hepper lives in Maine. Five board members, including the chair, who do not live in Texas will resign. eventAction: 'load' Excited and honored to serve as @ERCOT_ISO board chair! Gov. Meet the North Texan who has gained worldwide attention for his pancake designs, DFW weather: Warming temps and storm chances this week. }); They were all there earlier in the week. Talberg and Hepper joined the council on January 1. Whether youre shopping Way Day 2023 or Walmart, theres an al fresco set for you. He began serving as an unaffiliated director on the board in October 2015. RELATED: How will my electric bill be impacted? Their resignations will be effective at the end of the board's Wednesday meeting. Coal plants were the casualties of the billion-dollar subsidies that developed wind and solar power in Texas. She began serving as an unaffiliated director on the board January 1, 2021. Texans, in turn, are blasting public officials including Former Colorado City Mayor Tim Boyd, and ERCOT, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. ERCOT board members who live outside of Texas are resigning in the aftermath of the power outage, winter storm Five board members, including the chair, who do not live in Texas will. More than 4.5 million customers were without power at one point last week. Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, told WFAA that he was totally shocked to learn a third of the ERCOT Board of Directors lived outside Texas. THIS is your morning update?! Storms | Scientists weigh in with 2023 hurricane season forecastsBills | How Houston can save on energy as temperatures riseSweat | Houston is in for one hell of a hot spring, experts warnWatch | Drone footage captures formation of huge storm over Texas. And now its board has disappeared itself precisely when Gov. }); Its also cheap and its available in parts of Texas. eventAction: 'view' "If you're looking at information and you don't understand what it's saying, I think that increases the risk of that critical information," Smith said. about a third of its members dont even live in Texas, Hubbles Revelations: The Amazing Time Machine and Its Most Important Discoveries, Hubble's Revelations: The Amazing Time Machine and Its Most Important Discoveries, WATCH: Biden's Latest Alzheimer's Moment Is Actually Very Sad, Vivek Ramaswamy Schools Chuck Todd on the Evils of Transitioning Children, Okay, Hold Everything: Tucker Carlson WASN'T Fired, Says Im Still Employed by Fox, The Fox News Feud With Tucker Carlson Is About to Get Ugly, An Amazing Coincidence! Prior to her appointment, Commissioner Talberg worked in the public and private sectors with a focus on energy and environmental policy and utility regulation. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) manages the flow of electric power to more than 26 million Texas customers.https://t.co/wVynUwC1sk pic.twitter.com/4UD8Ji1t5U, LBJ School Alumni (@LBJSchoolAlumni) February 10, 2021. That part of the state gets hurricanes but it doesnt usually get ice and snowstorms. When asked about prohibiting non-Texans from becoming board members, ERCOTs CEO Bill Magness said such change would have had little impact on the operating of the electrical grid the past few days. maybe we shouldnt have deregulated and privatized ERCOT. Talberg has sat on various state, regional and national boards and committees involving electricity, natural gas, oil, infrastructure and telecommunications issues. ERCOT board members had come under fire last week when it was reported that some did not reside in the state. Three of the resigning board members live in other states, and one lives in another country. That entity already has political appointees: all three board members are appointed by the governor. Great news. Did I mention that most Texas homes are engineered for extreme summer heat, not arctic winters? Before his appointment, Mr. Lake served as Chairman of the Texas Water Development Board, the states primary water planning and financing agency charged with leading efforts to ensure a secure water future for Texans. Texas has consistently refused to weatherize their energy infrastructure because it doesnt get cold here. Another resident blamed inefficient planning as the reason for the present crisis. We are one of the worlds fastest growing Thanks to everyone who has been conserving today. February 24, 2021 / 7:22 AM Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of Craig Ivey, who was slated to fill a vacant unaffiliated director position, withdrew his application. Amid the crisis situation, it has come to light that five of the fifteen officials serving on ERCOT's (The Electric Reliability Council of Texas) board of directors are non-natives of the state itself. That the tornado shelter or fraidy-hole as they call it on my folks farm. . Talberg, who lives in Michigan, and Cramton, who lives in California,were elected to their posts as board chair and vice chair, respectively, on Feb. 9during a board meeting where leaders at the electric grid operator spent just 40 seconds discussing the upcoming storm. She has also served in an advisory capacity to commissioners at the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Michigan Public Service Commission, addressing retail and wholesale market issues, facility siting, ratemaking, and other regulatory issues. Thanks to the board for their support and ERCOT staff for the terrific orientation.. You can hear that conversation here. ERCOT has had a difficult job dealing with this terrible storm, but its public communications have not helped. Mom-influencer convicted of lying about kids' attempted kidnapping, Texans conclude 2023 NFL Draft with 5 offensive players, 4 defensive, Vietnamese community remembers Fall of Saigon 48 years later, change the way ERCOT is governed by requiring members to live in Texas. She earned a degree in studio art in 2018 from Southern Methodist University. But we should have been better prepared; the response, the lack of communication, the failure in preparedness is unacceptable for the Lone Star State, Leach said. He served as a versatile executive at NiSource for six years, holding numerous roles, including Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President and President of Columbia Gas Group, and Chief Customer Officer. Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, told WFAA that he was totally shocked to learn a third of the ERCOT Board of Directors lived outside Texas. No one on the board of . ERCOT removed the names to avoid that. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), He is a retiree from ISO New England which operates the electrical system in six states. ERCOT representatives did not return calls seeking comment, but in a statement it said: "We look forward to working with the Texas Legislature, and we thank the outgoing Board Members for their service.". Mr. Lake was born and raised in Tyler, Texas. AUSTIN, Texas -- During February's deadly winter storm, Gov. Experts, but not people affected by the failure. Writer R.G. He has previously served as Chairman of the University of Texas System Board of Regents as well as a member of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the University of Texas System Lands Advisory Board, and the El Paso Branch of the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank. A massive blackout in Texas shined a spotlight on a little-known policy: ERCOT officers and directors are not required to live in Texas, and Chairwoman Sally Talberg lives in Michigan. We appreciate it! Fifteen directors serve on the ERCOT board, including the four unaffiliated directors, whose resignations will be effective at the end of the meeting Wednesday. Dr. Carlos Aguilar is the President and CEO of Texas Central and will now serve on the governing board that oversees the state's electric grid. First published on February 23, 2021 / 7:07 PM. Anything less will not leave us ready for the next storm and for communicating whats happening to Texans affected by it. His work has emphasized job creation and retention while generating significant value for investors, including public company shareholders, private-equity investors, public sector pensions, and retirement funds. ), needed a lot of heat just to make our homes liveable and keep pipes from bursting and destroying everything. Some power grid experts have said in legislative testimony, at industry events and in interviews that they don't see how giving more power to the political class - and making minor tweaks like requiring all board members reside in Texas - could improve the grid operator. Paul Foster is the President of Franklin Management LLC and the founder and former Executive Chairman of Western Refining Inc. ERCOT will have to change, a lot. Pals nominating pals who nominate other pals to this board in Texas? Ive read this 30 times and I cant even make sense of it. Prior to ERCOT, Mr. Vegas was Executive Vice President of NiSource, and Group President of NiSource Utilities, where he oversaw NiSources electric and gas business segments and championed outstanding service to NiSource customers. the chair lives in Michigan and the vice chair is an economics prof in Cologne Germany. Dr. Carlos Aguilar is an engineer with a PhD and MSc in Economics (corporate/business strategy and finance). All Rights Reserved. DALLAS A third of the board of directors that operate the state's electrical grid do not appear to live in Texas, and their performance in wake of widespread outages has led to a. Last week's storm brought about some of the coldest temperatures the state has seen in decades. Leach said he has begun drafting legislation to prohibit non-Texans from serving on the ERCOT Board. pg.acq.push(function() { "To allow state leaders a free hand with future direction and to eliminate distractions, we are resigning from the board effective after our urgent board teleconference meeting adjourns on Wednesday, February 24, 2021. @ERCOT_ISO Board of Directors elected newcomer @SallyTalberg to a three-year term as its chair and six-year veteran Peter Cramton as its vice chair, she wrote. You've heard a lot about ERCOT lately. For another, it turns out that the board members nominate each other to it. State Sen. Carol Alvarado of Houston released a letter urging the Public Utility Commission of Texas to approve only residents of Texas to fill ERCOT board vacancies. Many of the out-of-state board members are experts in the electricity field, but resigned following criticism of the agency's oversight of the state's main power grid during the storm that left millions of Texans without electricity for days in freezing temperatures. That was the one outside Houston, by the way, which is normally in the 60s to 70s this time of year. Hepper, a former litigator for the U.S. Department of Justice, retired in 2018 from working for the grid operator that manages the six-state New England electric system and wholesale markets. A third of the board of directors that operate the states electrical grid do not appear to live in Texas, and their performance in wake of widespread outages has led to a Dallas-area lawmakers call for change. Mr. Vegas had profit and loss accountability for NiSources six gas and electric utility companies as well as responsibility for strategy, planning, operations, construction, engineering, regulatory, environmental services, and federal government affairs for NiSource. ERCOT officials have said it may be days before power is restored, The Dallas Morning News reported. He most recently served as the U.S. Representative for the 17th Congressional District of Texas from 2011 through 2021. That's part of the story but it's not the total story," Turner said Thursday on MSNBC. Abbott and everyone else in the state is demanding transparency. He resides in Florida, according to an ERCOT announcement about his candidacy to the board. The political appointees replace what are now called "unaffiliated members," who mostly served as outside expert voices. Ratcliffe pointed out that some of those in charge at ERCOT don't live in the state. The other board members currently represent regions across the state that make up the ERCOT grid, as well as non-voting members such as the chair of the Public Utility Commission, which oversees ERCOT. People who are making literally life and death decisions on behalf of our families and our communities don't even live in the state of Texas, Leach said. Theyre gone. "That's for both keeping the grid on and preventing things like Enron.". Freezing temperatures wont even leave central Texas until Friday. Abbott's claim on Fox News | VERIFY. The 2023 NFL Draft runs April 2729 live from Kansas City, Missouri. Pablo Vegas, ERCOT's new president and CEO, addressed the board of directors Tuesday morning about the impending cold blast. May 2020 - Present3 years 1 month. Dozens of counties in the state have been declaredmajor disaster areas by President Biden, and millions of people were under a boil water order. window.adsContainer = {"position2":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Above_Next_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position3":{"code":"Article_Mobile_300x250_ATF_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position4":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position5":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle1_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position6":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle2_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position7":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle3_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position8":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle4_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position9":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle5_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position10":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle6_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position11":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle7_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position12":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle8_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position13":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle9_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position14":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle10_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position15":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle11_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position16":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle12_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250}} The Republican governor released an official statement on Twitter about the same. As millions of Texans have been without electrical power sometimes for days public outrage has grown. From my observation, the Board is successful in large part because of ERCOTs stakeholder process and the role and leadership of the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Texas Legislature.. If the wind turbines are unreliable in these temps then we shouldnt rely on them. DALLAS A third of the board of directors that operate the states electrical grid do not appear to live in Texas, and their performance in wake of widespread outages has led to a Dallas-area lawmakers call for change. Amid the crisis situation, it has come to light that five of the fifteen officials serving on ERCOT's (The Electric Reliability Council of Texas) board of directors are non-natives of the state itself. document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ }) I'm frustrated and cannot believe that the board chair of our leading energy decision maker doesn't even live in Texas, but lives in Michigan. Reward offered as manhunt for Texas shooting suspect reaches "dead end", Louisiana's health care deserts put women, babies at risk, doctors say, Second convoy of U.S. citizens fleeing Khartoum arrives at Port Sudan, How a tall Texan became an unlikely Australian rules football star, Surviving the torturous hell of the Hanoi Hilton, Texas surfer pushed offshore by strong winds rescued by Coast Guard, Tornado flips cars, downs trees after touching down in South Florida, Shaquil Barrett's 2-year-old daughter dies in drowning accident, Investors sue Adidas over Kanye West Yeezy deal, Texas power utility board members resign after winter storm crisis. For todaygenerators to return, renewable output to increase = increased customer restoration., Leach wrote, Seriously?!?! Lawsuits have already been filed against ERCOT in response to last week's crisis. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. Their electricity was reliably unavailable. Another user agreed with Abbott's decision terming ERCOT's unreliable actions as 'unacceptable'. ERCOT Vice Chair Peter Cramton was listed as an economics professor at the University of Cologne in Germany and at the University of Maryland, the website biography said. Before his leadership role with Dynegy, he was CFO of UGI Utilities and CEO of FosterWheeler, a global engineering and construction firm, and COO and CFO of NRG Energy. Senate Bill 2, which has cleared the upper chamber, would give the governor five ERCOT board member appointments. Sally Talberg, board chair; Peter Cramton, vice chair; Terry Bulger, finance and audit chair; and Raymond Hepper, human resources and governance committee chair, occupy the "unaffiliated" director positions on the board, which mean they must remain independent of any business ERCOT oversees. Demi Moore has not left Bruce Willis's side and is doing everything to make his 'last moments happy', 'Stop it!' eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), ERCOT, which manages the flow of electric power in Texas, initiated rolling blackouts early Monday morning. Show us with your support. Ms. Talberg lives in Michigan with her husband and two daughters. Natural gas compensated, but then its pipelines froze, and even the oil wells froze up. }) Kathryn Adams Limbaugh Announced Husband Died on The Rush Limbaugh Show. Meanwhile, ERCOT's recently elected chair and vice chair for the board of directors aren't feeling the chill like we are. The storm was part of an icy blast across the Deep South that resulted in more than 80 deaths, roughly half of which were in Texas. He has advised numerous governments and has been on the ERCOT board since 2015. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. In this position, he played a key role in the due diligence, valuation, and transactional aspects of the successful divestment of the firms primary investment.