Brendan Waldon repairs a utility pole that was damaged by the winter storm that passed through Texas on Feb. 18, 2021, in Odessa, Texas.
Eli Hartman/Odessa American via AP
Four board members of Texas’ power grid operator announced Tuesday they will be resigning — a week after millions of residents experienced blackouts during a historic winter storm that brought record freezing temperatures.
Sally Talberg, the chairwoman of the board at Electric Reliability Council of Texas or ERCOT, vice chairman Peter Cramton, Terry Bulger, the chairman of finance and audit, and Raymond Hepper, the human resources and governance committee chairman, will resign at the end of a board meeting Wednesday morning, according to a letter posted on the Public Utility Commission of Texas’ website.
The board members faced backlash after it was revealed they all live out of state.
“We have noted recent concerns about out-of-state board leadership at ERCOT,” the letter reads. 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.”
The members have also been under fire for ERCOT’s handling of the state’s massive power outages during the winter storm that has claimed the lives of dozens of residents.
More than 4.5 million customers were left without power during the storm. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has called for an investigation into the agency. Lawmakers are set to begin hearings over the blackouts in the state Capitol on Thursday.
With Post wires
