POWER OUT

Several Board Members of Texas’ Power Grid Operator Resign After Mass Outages

ERCOT chairwoman Sally Talberg and at least three other board members announced their departures in a joint letter Tuesday.

At least four members of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the board in charge of regulating Texas’s power grid, have resigned after mass power outages during last week’s devastating winter storms. ERCOT chairwoman Sally Talberg, along with at least three other board members, announced their departures in a joint letter Tuesday. All four are believed to live outside the state, according to the Dallas Morning News. The Houston Chronicle reported that a fifth member of the board, Vanessa Anesetti-Parra, is believed to have resigned; a LinkedIn account with her name and job states she lives in Canada. Talberg herself lives in Michigan, according to her bio on ERCOT’s website. Peter Cramton, the vice-chair of the board, also resigned.

At least 35 people in Texas died as a result of the storm, according to the Associated Press, though authorities warned it could be a while before the final death toll is known. The board resignations are effective Wednesday. ERCOT members are expected to testify in front of state legislators later this week.

In a statement, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pledged to keep investigating the board, and said he welcomed the resignations. “We will ensure that the disastrous events of last week are never repeated,” Abbott said.