At least 13 people have died in weather-related incidents in the Houston area, according to the Houston Chronicle. COLD SNAP: Houston's weather is as serious as a Cat 5 hurricane, Hidalgo says. She began serving as an unaffiliated director on the board January 1, 2021. Last week's storm brought about some of the coldest temperatures the state has seen in decades. Before his career in the regulated utility industry, Mr. Vegas served in senior leadership positions with IBM, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Andersen Consulting. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans - and engages with them - about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. Bulger lives in Wheaton, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, and Hepper lives in Maine. Answer this: What do I say to the elderly couple in my District who havent had power in over 36 hours and are struggling to survive in their 30 home?. "You had the independent voice there to check market participants," Wood said. Anesetti-Parra lives in Toronto. Demand statewide surged as every county got blasted, starting Friday to Saturday. Texas has dodged federal regulation for years by having its own power grid. },false) And in a historic and life-threatening cold snap, it's still unknown when millions will get the heat back on in their homes. He most recently served as the U.S. Representative for the 17th Congressional District of Texas from 2011 through 2021. Texans, in turn, are blasting public officials including Former Colorado City Mayor Tim Boyd, and ERCOT, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. "We will ensure that the disastrous events of last week are never repeated," he said. Anything less will not leave us ready for the next storm and for communicating whats happening to Texans affected by it. And, that we have millions whove never dealt with cold and ice like this before, either because theyre new to the state or because this is a historic storm? 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Ms. England currently serves on the board of TTM Technologies, a leading global RF and specialty components, advanced technology, and PCB fabrication solutions supplier. Talberg lives in Michigan with her husband and two daughters, according to her ERCOT bio. Kathryn Adams Limbaugh Announced Husband Died on The Rush Limbaugh Show. A spokesperson tells ABC13 the board and senior leaders were getting threats because of the anger over the widespread power outages. 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}} MEAWW is an initialism for Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide. Member of Reliability & Markets Committee, Member of Human Resources & Governance Committee. Through her involvement with the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), Commissioner Talberg served on the NARUC Committee on Gas and on the Federal-State Joint Boards on Jurisdictional Separations and Universal Service. Hes a veteran, author, and Texan. Anesetti-Parra lives in Toronto. Prior to joining NiSource, Mr. Vegas held a variety of senior executive positions with American Electric Power (AEP), including President and Chief Operating Officer of AEP Ohio, President and Chief Operating Officer of AEP Texas, and Vice President and Chief Information Officer of AEP. "Obviously the down side is they're political appointees looking after the political interests of those that appoint them.". Just last week, the ERCOT board elected its newest leaders: Sally Talberg and Peter Cramton. As millions of Texans have been without electrical power sometimes for days public outrage has grown. The PUC announced Monday its search for eight new members to join the Electric Reliability Council of Texas board of directors. eventAction: 'click_image_ads' Others are appointed by companies and consumers participating in the electricity market, with members representing various power sources. In a letter to the board, the resigning members cited concerns about their "out-of-state board leadership." Three other ERCOT board members also appear to live thousands of miles from Texas. Many officials, including Governor Greg Abbott, have questioned whether the company was adequately prepared. Bulger lives inWheaton, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, and Hepper lives in Maine. He began serving as an unaffiliated director on the board in October 2015. Mr. Flores is a Texas licensed CPA, who earned his undergraduate degree in accounting from Texas A&M University and his MBA from Houston Baptist University. 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. She also previously served as an advisor to commissioners at the Public Utility Commission of Texas. ERCOT will have to change, a lot. Another provision of both chambers' legislation requires all board members to reside in Texas, which would prevent experts like Cramton from sitting on the ERCOT board in the future. They were all there earlier in the week. Theyll have to be proactive and smart. } The next ERCOT board meeting is currently . She served as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas from 1997 to 2003. As of Tuesday morning, more than 1.37 million people were still without power in Houston, according to the Houston Chronicle. Places with much colder climates than Texas use wind turbines with no issues. Board members Vanessa Anesetti-Parra is a resident of Toronto at present. But to intentionally hide the names of the individuals who are charged with making decisions on our behalf is wrong and misguided and possibly unlawful.. Chair of Human Resources & Governance Committee, Member of Finance & Audit Committee. That entity already has political appointees: all three board members are appointed by the governor. Texas didn't learn its lesson | Experts say little has changed with winterization of generators since blackouts of 2011. The 2023 NFL Draft runs April 2729 live from Kansas City, Missouri. She was elected to the board earlier this month. The board has been criticized for last week's mass power outage during a winter storm that has claimed the lives of dozens of Texans. 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. Just an FYI, five members of the ERCOT board of directors live out of state. 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. Meanwhile, ERCOT's recently elected chair and vice chair for the board of directors aren't feeling the chill like we are. "Further, many legislators were frustrated by the lack of accountability on the board, especially regarding the members of the board that would be unaffiliated members.". },false) This is more than 3,200 MW higher than the previous winter peak set back in January 2018. }); Ms. Talberg holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental and Natural Resources Policy Studies from Michigan State University and a masters degree in Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas-Austin. Previously, she was a digital reporter for Chron, Gannett and the Austin American-Statesman. 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. 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. 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. I have friends who are dealing with this and will be dealing with it for a long time after the storm. Innovation Studio. Just terrible. North Texas State Rep. Jeff . Much of the state north of that may stay cold for days yet. The Texas Railroad Commission regulates oil and gas production in the Lone Star State, which is the nations top energy-producing state. Leach said he has begun drafting legislation to prohibit non-Texans from serving on the ERCOT Board. Im frustrated and cannot believe that the board chair of our leading energy decision maker doesnt even live in Texas, but lives in Michigan. He has advised numerous governments and has been on the ERCOT board since 2015. *I originally wrote that Texas is the size of Germany. Turns out its twice that. The vacancies will not immediately be filled. The lack of preparedness and transparency at ERCOT is unacceptable. Do you value our journalism? Its not an issue with the turbines outright. Ms. Talberg also has experience with environmental and safety compliance and enforcement for drinking water and wastewater facilities. Vice Chair Peter Cramton is a professor at the University of Cologne in Germany and the University of Maryland. You've heard a lot about ERCOT lately. 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. When Texans were in desperate need of electricity, ERCOT failed to do its job and Texans were left shivering in their homes without power," Abbott said in a statement. If the wind turbines are unreliable in these temps then we shouldnt rely on them. eventAction: 'render' }); More than 4.5 million customers were without power at one point last week. 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. Since 1930, the Texas grid. However, he added that an indefinite blackout, in place of smaller power outages could leave Texas without power for an indefinite amount of time, possibly a month even. Chair of Reliability & Markets Committee, Member of Finance & Audit Committee. ERCOT CEO Bill Magness has revealed that they are unsure how long the power outages will last. 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. Dozens of counties in the state have been declaredmajor disaster areas by President Biden, and millions of people were under a boil water order. Abbott's claim on Fox News | VERIFY. eventAction: 'view' Keeping Score: FC Dallas leaves Minnesota with a point in standings after scoreless draw, It's Flippin' Art Dude! Michigan Public Service Commission } "The lack of preparedness and transparency at ERCOT is unacceptable, and I welcome these resignations. That will cost money, but should be discussed. document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ But coal is more reliable than just about anything else when you need it most. From 2013-2019 she served on the NARUC Committee on Telecommunications and on the board of directors of the Organization of MISO States, of which she was President in 2016. On Tuesday, Abbott said ERCOT's "lack of preparedness" for the storm has made him "welcome the resignations. 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. }); She served as chairman from January 4, 2016 until July 27, 2020. To allow state leaders a free hand with future direction and to eliminate distractions, we are resigning from the board, Talberg, Cramton, Bulger and Hepper wrote in the resignation letter. Given ERCOTs charge by the Texas Legislature for resource adequacy and reliability, this crisis warrants the boards full and prompt attention, beginning with an understanding of the key events and known causes to date.. 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. Abbott has repeatedly placed blame on ERCOT over the last week but Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has pushed back on the accusation that ERCOT is entirely at fault. ERCOT did not immediately respond to CBS News' request for comment. ", Statement on resignation of @ERCOT_ISO leadership: pic.twitter.com/kSMw1qTpK5, "When Texans were in desperate need of electricity, ERCOT failed to do its job and Texans were left shivering in their homes without power. }); Mr. Foster holds a degree in accounting from Baylor University. More than 3 million Texans are still without power Wednesday, February 17, days after a winter storm blasted the region, bringing with it record-cold temperatures. Thanks to the board for their support and ERCOT staff for the terrific orientation. 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. The board members were not all immediately available for comment or referred reporters to their resignation letters. Some of the other members include Terry Bulger, Mark Carpenter, Lori Cobos, Keith Emery and Nick Fehrenbach some of whom do not even remotely hail from a background in energy and power segment. 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. board of directors at the entity that operates the state's electrical grid resigned. Before retirement, Ms. Heeg managed successful law practices with Reed Smith and Norton Rose Fulbright. He has a long history of service in both the electric and gas industries. When the intense storm hit the state, major generation units failed,and operators at ERCOT ordered a series of rolling blackouts intended to protect the electric grid from catastrophic failure. Another will be, is it possible to keep a few coal plants in working order just in case another winter like this strikes? Whoopi Goldberg interrupts 'The View' live segment, raises her voice and hits co-host, Baywatch star Jeremy Jacksons ex-wife Loni Willison spotted looking for food in LA waste, 'Go for a size bigger': Honey Boo Boo slammed for flaunting 'tight' prom dress with boyfriend Dralin Carswell, 'Liza took a final breath and sighed': Liza Burke, 21, dies 6 weeks after stage 4 cancer diagnosis. Threats are wrong and should be reported to law enforcement, Leach told WFAA. However, one-third of the 15 board members don't even live in Texas. Mr. Lake has held a variety of financial roles across a number of industries. The ERCOT grid operator manages the flow of electric power to more than 26 million Texas customers representing about 90% of the state's electric load, according to its website. Greg Abbott had called on ERCOT board members to resign in the aftermath of the crisis and said in a statement Tuesday that he welcomes their resignations, promising to investigate the grid operator. Bryan Preston served as chief of staff to Texas Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton. 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. And now its board has disappeared itself precisely when Gov. 'An electrical island':Texas has dodged federal regulation for years by having its own power grid, "Our hearts go out to all Texans who have had to go without electricity, heat, and water during frigid temperatures and continue to face the tragic consequences of this emergency," the letter reads. Ms. England has also served in executive roles in engineering and technology with Texas Instruments, Inc., including Vice President and General Manager of the companys Radio Frequency Identification Division. https://t.co/hdNQ28jFTL, Jeff Leach (@leachfortexas) February 16, 2021. Ice was also snapping powerlines in untold numbers of places. Experts, but not people affected by the failure. AUSTIN, Texas The Electric Reliability Council of Texas announced in a Tuesday notice to the Public Utility Commission of Texas that four of its board members will resign effective Wednesday,. The ERCOT Board elected Talbert and Cramton to serve in their leadership positions just over a week ago on Feb. 9. "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. ERCOT is overseen by the PUC. She called on ERCOT management to provide a chronology of key events and critical actions as well as data and explanations in response to the following questions, she wrote. Cramton, the former ERCOT board member, is also an economics professor at the University of Cologne in Germany and an expert in electricity market design. Abbott and everyone else in the state is demanding transparency. Now, board members are appointed by a nominating committee made up of current members. Talberg has sat on various state, regional and national boards and committees involving electricity, natural gas, oil, infrastructure and telecommunications issues. Bulger worked in the banking sector for 35 years, including various positions with ABN AMRO Bank in Canada, Europe and the U.S., and lives in Wheaton, Illinois. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Talbert failed to return calls or texts by WFAA. Abigail Rosenthal is a writer and editor based in Austin. 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. May 2020 - Present3 years 1 month. views, . likes, . loves, comments, . shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Jane Yap: LIVE: Saulog Tagbilaran Street Dancing and Ritual. pic.twitter.com/Mt2GPlaFuE. ERCOT is a world-class electric grid operator, and it is exciting to be part of this organization as it continues to evolve its markets, planning and operations in response to unprecedented change in the electric industry, she said. For one thing, about a third of its members dont even live in Texas. Texas has consistently refused to weatherize their energy infrastructure because it doesnt get cold here. Anesetti-Parra did not sign the joint letter, but a notice sent from ERCOT to the Public Utility Commission noted her intention to resign from the board. 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. . The Electric Reliability Council of Texas is getting a lot of attention as millions of Texans remain without power while the state faces extreme cold. None of them lives in Texas. The vacancies will not immediately be filled. She is the vice president of regulatory and compliance at Just Energy. ERCOT officials have said it may be days before power is restored, The Dallas Morning News reported. businesses never again experience power outages on this magnitude, she wrote. the chair lives in Michigan and the vice chair is an economics prof in Cologne Germany. We want what is best for ERCOT and for Texas.". }); VERIFY: Does Texas have an independent power grid, and what does that mean? Three other ERCOT board members also appear to. Then a historic winter storm froze up the place and electric reliability turned into an unfunny joke for far too many. A massive blackout in Texas shined a spotlight on a policy: ERCOT officers and directors are not required to live in Texas, and Chairwoman Sally Talberg lives in Michigan. For todaygenerators to return, renewable output to increase = increased customer restoration., Leach wrote, Seriously?!?! Ms. England holds a BS in chemical engineering and graduate studies in business from Texas Tech University complemented with executive education at Harvard University and Stanford University. Five board members had earlier resigned after the storms. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), He lives in Wheaton, a suburb in Chicago, Illinois. Velma Williams wears multiple items of clothing to stay warm during a power outage in Third Ward Monday, Feb. 15, 2021, in Houston. He said ERCOT is currently forecasting demand for power to reach. As ERCOT is a 501 (c) (4), a board of directors is the governing force. Agree - This is unacceptable. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), ga('ads.send', { Pablo Vegas joined ERCOT in October 2022 as President and CEO. Im not a fan of using the phrase perfect storm, but this was one and still is. Former PUC Chair Pat Wood, speaking at a recent industry conference alongside Coleman, echoed some of Coleman's and Cramton's concerns. Talberg said in a statement at the time she was excited about the new role. That screams conflict of interest and sweetheart deals.. In this capacity, he led the firms market research initiatives and directed the development of its first automated trading programs. ERCOT has come under fire for its handling of widespread blackouts that left millions of Texans without power and water as the state faced subfreezing temperatures, snow and ice. ga('ads.send', { Gregg Abbott announced on Tuesday ERCOT reform would be made an emergency item, calling on an investigation of the electrical management company to ensure Texans will never suffer through a power outage of this magnitude again. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Leach has been vocal on Twitter about his criticisms of ERCOT. Raymond Hepper was listed as a retired general counsel and officer for a New England company. Its not often I underestimate the size of Texas, but I did here. Another user agreed with Abbott's decision terming ERCOT's unreliable actions as 'unacceptable'. This is the cost of not planning ahead," they wrote. That the tornado shelter or fraidy-hole as they call it on my folks farm. Talberg and Hepper joined the council on January 1. According to his LinkedIn page, he lives in Del Mar, California. "These people would be political types without electricity expertise," he told The Texas Tribune. Three other ERCOT board members also appear to live thousands of miles from Texas. 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. State lawmakers are now trying to change the way ERCOT is governed by requiring members to live in Texas and giving more board seats to political appointees - changes that experts say may do . #ERCOT is a world-class grid operator that embraces innovation and competition, she wrote on Twitter Feb. 9.

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