ERCOT CEO will be removed from his position in 60 days, board of directors says

ERCOT president and CEO Bill Magness has been notified of his termination, officials say

Bill Magness, President and CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), testifies as the Committees on State Affairs and Energy Resources hold a joint public hearing to consider the factors that led to statewide electrical blackouts, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, in Austin, Texas. The hearings were the first in Texas since a blackout that was one of the worst in U.S. history, leaving more than 4 million customers without power and heat in subfreezing temperatures. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) (Eric Gay, Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

ERCOT CEO and president Bill Magness will be removed from his position in 60 days, according to an announcement by the ERCOT Board of Directors on Wednesday.

According to a statement by the ERCOT Board of Directors­­­­­­­­, members met and directed the corporate secretary to “exercise the 60 days termination notice to ERCOT President and CEO Bill Magness pursuant to the employment agreement with ERCOT.”

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The board said Magness will continue to serve as president and CEO of ERCOT during the 60-day period and work with state leaders and regulators on potential reforms to ERCOT.

“The ERCOT Board is expected to begin an immediate search for a new President and CEO, and will continue to discuss the transition plan at future meetings during this time period,” the board said in a statement to KSAT.

In late February, following the winter storm that left millions across the state without power, six ERCOT board members resigned, including the director who acknowledged the “pain and suffering” that Texans experienced during the statewide power outages.

Additionally, a seventh person, a board candidate, withdrew his application, according to a report by the Associated Press.

Read also:

Resigning ERCOT board members acknowledge “pain and suffering” from extreme power grid strain that caused outages for millions of Texans

Political contributions link ERCOT board to Abbott and the state committee now investigating the troubled entity

Griddy customers moved to other electricity providers after ERCOT boots it from Texas market


About the Author:

Jakob Rodriguez is a digital journalist at KSAT 12. He's a graduate of Texas State University, where he served as the editor-in-chief of the student-run newspaper, The University Star.