The Texas Reliability Entity has elevated COO Jim Albright to become its CEO, the Board of Directors announced Thursday.

Albright will replace Lane Lanford on Jan. 1. Lanford is retiring after eight years at Texas RE’s helm. (See Texas RE CEO Lanford Announces Retirement.)

“I am honored and humbled that the Board of Directors has selected me to be the next president and CEO for Texas RE,” Albright said in a statement provided to ERO Insider.

“We have an incredible team here at Texas RE, and I look forward to working with them and our partners at NERC, the other regions and the [Texas Public Utility Commission] as we tackle the rapidly evolving challenges presented by the modern power industry,” he said. “Ensuring electric reliability for Texans is not just a mission statement to me; it is my passion, and I am proud to be able to serve the people of Texas every day.”

The Texas RE is ERCOT’s regional entity and serves as the PUC’s reliability monitor for the ERCOT region. In his seven years as COO, Albright led Texas RE’s Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Program and the reliability monitor department, and he chairs NERC’s Align Project, the largest implementation in its history.

“Jim has the knowledge and experience to lead Texas RE, where he has been a strong voice for [its] focus on reliability,” NERC CEO Jim Robb tweeted.

Texas RE Chair Fred Day said the board conducted a “very thorough” search for Lanford’s replacement and that the entity is “very fortunate to pass the baton of executive leadership to Jim Albright.”

“Jim was clearly the most capable of building upon Texas RE’s many successes while also providing a fresh vision for the organization’s future,” Day said. “He’ll provide a strong voice for our region at the NERC level while continuing to pursue innovative ways to communicate with our stakeholders and ensure electric reliability for all Texans.”

Albright was previously deputy executive director for the PUC, where he spent more than 15 years.