Four board members of Texas’ power grid operator intend to resign after consecutive blackouts that left millions of people without electricity during the brutal winter weather.
The board chairwoman and vice chairman of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, and two other board members, issued a joint statement announcing their intention to resign at a meeting revealed by the Texas Public Utility Commission.
“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 statement said.
The letter was signed by Chairwoman Sally Talberg, Vice Chairman Peter Cramton, Finance and Audit Committee Chairman Terry Bulger, and Human Resources and Governance Committee Chairman Raymond Hepper.
“With the right follow-through, Texas can lead the nation in investing in infrastructure and emergency preparedness to withstand the effects of severe weather events — whether in the form of flooding, drought, extreme temperatures, or hurricanes,” the letter said.
“We want what is best for ERCOT and Texas.”
Governor Greg Abbott said he “welcomed” the resignations in a statement.
“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.
“ERCOT leadership made assurances that Texas’ power infrastructure was prepared for the winter storm, but those assurances proved to be devastatingly false.”
Over 3 million people and businesses were left without power after a brutal winter cold front swept Texas last week, leaving Texans without power in below-freezing temperatures.