By Tom Kleckner

AUSTIN, Texas — Beth Garza announced Tuesday she will step down as director of ERCOT’s Independent Market Monitor, a position she has held since 2014.

Garza broke the news during her bimonthly report to the ISO’s Board of Directors, telling stakeholders, “My time as director of the IMM has come to an end.”

She told RTO Insider it became evident to her that Texas’ Public Utility Commission, which has oversight of the IMM, wanted someone else to fill the director’s position.

“I support the commission’s decision to have the IMM director they want,” she said. “I’m disappointed that I’m not the person for that role.”

The PUC, ERCOT and Potomac Economics, Garza’s employer for 11 years, are all parties to the IMM’s contract. However, that four-year contract expires at the end of the year.

The PUC requested proposals for a new contract and is currently in negotiations, with the hope of reaching an agreement before the end of year, said Andrew Barlow, the commission’s external affairs director. Potomac Economics is among those bidding for the new IMM contract.

Garza said the PUC would be “willing” to award the contract to Potomac Economics but with the understanding she needed to be replaced. She hinted at disagreements between the PUC and the IMM.

“There’s a built-in tension between the commission’s role to provide oversight and direction to the IMM and the IMM’s role to provide independent analysis,” Garza said. “That tension interacts squarely at the director’s position.”

ERCOT directed media inquiries to the PUC, which did not offer comment beyond Barlow’s.

Potomac and Garza have been fierce advocates of real-time co-optimization. The PUC earlier this year directed ERCOT to implement the market tool, which procures both energy and ancillary services every five minutes to find the most cost-effective solution for both requirements.

Garza said she would remain at Potomac in a non-public role.

The Washington, D.C.-based firm also provides market monitoring for ISO-NE, MISO and NYISO.