The nomination comes the same week that ERCOT asked Texans to cut back their electricity use to avoid outages. Cobos’ term will last until Sept. 1

(AP Photo/Eric Gay)AUSTIN, Texas – Bill Magness, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas CEO who was terminated by his board Wednesday, said he will not seek or accept severance pay, according to a spokesperson. According to the terms of his employment contract, his severance pay would have been equivalent to one year of his current base salary, which is more than $800,000. She had come under sharp criticism from lawmakers after largely blaming Texas’ power outages on ERCOT. Magness, who endured more than five hours of questioning by state senators on Thursday, was criticized for the organization’s winter storm preparations. Magness worked at ERCOT for more than a decade and became its CEO and president in 2016 after working as its general counsel.

The decision is the latest of several recently announced departures from the ERCOT board, which also included Magness. Magness's absence leaves a mix of vacancies and temporary members on the 16-member ERCOT board. She had come under sharp criticism by lawmakers after largely pointing blame for Texas’ power outages to ERCOT, the entity her agency oversees. Magness also defended ERCOT as an entity that carries out what state lawmakers and the PUC direct. Magness worked at ERCOT for more than a decade and became its CEO and president in 2016 after working as its general counsel.

Governor Greg Abbott has named Arthur D’Andrea chair of the Public Utility Commission of Texas. Credit: Texas Public Utility CommissionGov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday promoted Arthur D’Andrea to chair the state’s utility regulator, replacing the Public Utility Commission leader who resigned earlier this week following widespread power outages in February. The governor appoints commissioners to lead the PUC, which oversees the state’s grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Abbott can now choose who he’d like to join D’Andrea and Commissioner Shelly Botkin, who Abbott appointed to the PUC in 2018.

The chairwoman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the agency that regulates the state’s electric, telecommunication, and water and sewer utilities, resigned Monday, according to a resignation letter provided to the Texas Tribune. Governor Greg Abbott-appointed commissioners came under public criticism in the aftermath of Texas’ power crisis that left millions of people in the dark for days and claimed the lives of dozens. Dan Patrick called for PUC chairwoman DeAnn Walker and Electric Reliability Council of Texas CEO Bill Magness to resign. The PUC is charged with overseeing the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, a nonprofit entity that manages and operates the electricity grid that covers much of the state. Lawmakers probed how much information she had on whether the state’s power system could withstand winter storms, and questioned why she didn’t raise concerns about the possibility of outages sooner.

Ad“Both the PUC Chair and ERCOT CEO said they were prepared the day before the storm hit in full force, but obviously they were not. ERCOT CEO Bill Magness testified the information was not delivered to him – a critical failure of Magness’ team. “Both the Chairman and CEO publicly testified they had informed state leadership, including me, about the seriousness of the winter storm. Ad“I do not make this call for the resignation of the PUC Chair and the ERCOT CEO lightly. “The investigation into what happened during the winter storm crisis is just beginning.