Board Leaders Of Texas Power Grid Resign After Blackout Outrage

The chair of Texas’s power grid operator and four other board members have resigned in the wake of the widespread outrage resulting from the energy crisis that crippled the state’s electrical system.

According to a filing by the PUC of Texas, Electric Reliability Council of Texas Chair Sally Talberg resigned along with Vice Chair Peter Cramton and board members Raymond Hepper, Terry Bulger, Vanessa Anesetti-Parra,/

In their resignation letter, the member cited recent concerns raised about out-of-state board leadership at the grid operator. “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.”

The resignations come as the Texas grid operator ERCOT and state regulators scramble to contain the catastrophic fallout from last week’s blackouts that left millions of homes without heat and light during a severe cold snap. The resignations also come after Texas Governor Greg Abbott last week called for Ercot leadership, including board members, to step down, and one day after the mother of an 11-year-old Texas boy who died during the power outage sued ERCOT and Entergy.

“We look forward to working with the Texas Legislature, and we thank the outgoing Board Members for their service,” Ercot spokesperson Leslie Sopko said in a statement.

Craig Ivey also submitted a letter to withdraw his petition for approval as an unaffiliated director, citing concerns stakeholders recently expressed of having out-of-state directors.