The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has named one of its former Vice Presidents as the new interim CEO.
Brad Jones will lead ERCOT while the board works with an outside search firm to find candidates for the position. He could serve as Interim CEO for up to one year.
ERCOT manages the electric grid which covers most of Texas. The previous CEO, Bill Magness spent just over five years in that position. He was fired in March after the wide-spread power outages during February's massive winter storm. Members of the ERCOT Board of Directors also resigned.
The current board selected Brad Jones as the Interim CEO until the permanent position is filled. He served as ERCOT's Vice President of Commercial Operations from April 2013 to December 2014, then served as ERCOT's Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer from January 2015 to October 2015. He left Texas that year to take a job as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the New York Independent System Operator. Jones has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Texas Tech University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington.
"I commend the ERCOT Board for confirming a leader of Brad’s caliber as interim CEO," said PUC Chairman Peter Lake. "He brings the right combination of ERCOT knowledge and broad industry expertise needed to provide the stability and reliability that Texans expect and deserve."