| Austin American statesman
Listen: ERCOT speaks briefly before the winter storm in Texas
At a Feb. 9 meeting, ERCOT operators spent less than a minute on the coming winter weather and whether Texas’ power grid could handle it.
ERCOT
AUSTIN, Texas – Five members of the board of directors of the entity operating the state’s electrical network resigned from their posts on Wednesday, according to a notice posted on the commission’s website for public utility.
Council Chairman Sally Talberg, Vice President Peter Cramton and members Terry Bulger, Raymond Hepper and Vanessa Anesetti-Parra are leaving the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT. None of them live in Texas.
ERCOT came under fire for dealing with widespread eclipses that left millions of Texans without power and water as the state faced cold temperatures, snow and ice. The storm was part of an icy explosion across the deep south that resulted in more than 80 deaths, about half of which were in Texas.
In a joint letter of resignation, Talberg, Cramton, Bulger and Hepper acknowledge ‘the pain and suffering of Texans over the past week’ and cite objections to their stay as a motivating factor for their resignations.
Anesetti-Parra did not sign the joint letter, but a notice sent by ERCOT to the public utility commission took note of her intention to resign from the board.
Winter storm surges also plagued Texas in 2011. Recommendations made thereafter did not apply.
‘An electric island’: Texas evaded federal regulations for years by having its own power grid
“Our hearts go out to all Texans who have had to do without ice, heat and water during icy temperatures and still face the tragic consequences of this emergency,” the letter read. “We have noticed recent concerns about out-of-state leadership at ERCOT. To give state leaders a free hand with future direction and eliminate distractions, we thank the board.”
Craig Ivey, who was planning to fill a vacancy on the board, said in a separate letter that he was withdrawing his candidacy “to prevent him from becoming a distraction about his out-of-state residency.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who has accused state legislators of making changes to ERCOT after the interruptions, said he welcomed the resignations.
“When the Texans were in dire need of electricity, ERCOT could not do its job and the Texans were left without power in their homes,” Abbott said in a statement. for the winter storm. , but this assurance turns out to be devastatingly false. ”
According to the American American-Statesman, part of the USA TODAY Network, a month ago presented a positive evaluation of the readiness of power stations in Texas for winter storms.
When the severe storm hit the state, the units of the largest generation failed, and ERCOT operators ordered a series of blackout orders to protect the electrical network from catastrophic failure.
Instead of disappearing, more than 4 million people were left without electricity for days.
State officials criticized ERCOT amid interruptions and state lawmakers scheduled legislative hearings for Thursday and Friday to discuss the interruptions.
“We look forward to working with the Texas Legislature, and we thank the outgoing board members for their service,” read a statement from ERCOT.
Talberg, who lives in Michigan, and Cramton, who lives in California, were elected to their positions as board chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, during their board meeting on February 9, respectively, during a board meeting where leaders at the power grid operator spent only 40 seconds fighting the coming storm. .
Bulger lives in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, and Hepper lives in Maine. Anesetti-Parra lives in Toronto.
There are a total of 16 members on ERCOT’s board, who appoint officers who manage the day-to-day operations of the network manager.
Huge lines form across Texas for water distribution after the storm
As people in Texas face the potential for further waterline disruptions and power outages with ice thawing, places for the distribution of bottled water see extremely long queues.
Accuweather, Accuweather
Contributing Contributions: The Associated Press
More news about the power outages in Texas:
Since some Texans see electric bills skyrocketing, most prices need to be saved
Family sues Texas utility companies for $ 100 million after 11-year-old boy dies amid power outage
Texas politicians saw the deregulation of electricity as a better future. Years later, millions lost power.