ERCOT’s Board of Directors on Tuesday elected newcomer Sally Talberg to a three-year term as its chair and six-year veteran Peter Cramton as its vice chair.

Talberg, a former regulator with the Michigan Public Service Commission who only joined the board as an unaffiliated director on Jan. 1, wasted no time in exerting her influence. She gently chided ERCOT CEO Bill Magness when he referred to her as “Chairman Talberg,” urging him to use her first name instead.

“Since I’m calling everyone else by their first name, it keeps us on a level playing field,” Talberg said.

The board meeting was her first since her election was approved by the Texas Public Utility Commission in November. The PUC also approved retired ISO-NE General Counsel Raymond Hepper’s election at the same time. (See Texas PUC Approves ERCOT Board Members.)

“ERCOT is a world-class electric grid operator, and it is exciting to be part of this organization as it continues to evolve its markets, planning and operations in response to unprecedented change in the electric industry,” Talberg said in a statement. “From my observation, the board is successful in large part because of ERCOT’s stakeholder process and the role and leadership of the [PUC] and the Texas Legislature.”

Talberg has 25 years of experience in energy and environmental regulatory policy. She served on the Michigan commission from 2013 until last year, including four years as chair, and was president of the Organization of MISO States in 2016.

As a senior consultant at Public Sector Consultants, Talberg helped lead the development of Michigan Saves, a nonprofit green bank that has financed more than $200 million in energy efficiency projects.

But Talberg has Texas ties too. She has a master’s degree in public affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and has advised the PUC’s commissioners on retail and wholesale market issues. She worked at Lower Colorado River Authority while pursuing her master’s.

Cramton is an economics professor at the University of Cologne and the University of Maryland College Park (emeritus since 2018). He has conducted research on market design and auctions, introduced market designs in many industries, and advises startups on finance, insurance and communications.

Following a special Nominating Committee meeting, the board approved Cramton’s appointment to a third and final three-year term as an unaffiliated director. His current term expires Aug. 15.

Cramton’s nomination must also be approved by ERCOT members and the PUC.