By Tom Kleckner
Texas Reliability Entity CEO Lane Lanford announced Tuesday that he will retire in December after occupying his position since 2012.
Texas RE will immediately begin a search for his successor, with the intention of having that person in place when 2021 begins.
“It has been a privilege to serve Texas RE for almost a decade, and the time is right for me to retire and allow the company to continue to grow under new leadership,” said Lanford, who joined the organization in 2010 as chief compliance officer.
“I appreciate the bonds I’ve built with colleagues at the [Texas] Public Utility Commission, NERC and the other regional entities and value what we’ve accomplished together,” he said. “But most of all, I am proud of the team we’ve built at Texas RE and am confident about the future of electric reliability in our state. It is in very good hands moving forward.”
Lanford is credited with leading Texas RE’s transition to risk-based compliance and helping to create a cohesive Electric Reliability Organization with NERC and the other regional entities. That drew praise from NERC CEO Jim Robb and others who have worked with Lanford.
“[Lanford] was one of the principal architects of our risk-based compliance monitoring approach, and his knowledge and leadership have served the reliability and security of the Texas Interconnection very well,” Robb said in a statement. “He has also built a great team at Texas RE that I am sure will carry on his legacy of excellence.”
“His steady leadership and presence will be greatly missed, but his legacy will continue to shape the future of our industry for years to come,” said PUC Chair DeAnn Walker.
Texas RE Board Chair Fred Day, himself in the final year of his term, said the organization was “fortunate” to have Lanford as CEO the last eight years.
“Under his steadfast leadership, Texas RE has become a well-respected reliability leader at the NERC level while still maintaining the [Texas RE] region’s uniqueness and independence,” he said.
A nominating committee formed in February to find a new independent director will also be tasked with searching for the organization’s next CEO, said Day.
Lanford came to Texas RE from the PUC, where he served as executive director from 1997 to 2010. Previously, he was the Texas Department of Economic Development’s chief administrative officer for five years and gained experience in management and information technology while working for several financial institutions.
