Texas Public Utility Commission Chair DeAnn Walker last week took advantage of a NERC trustee’s presence at a virtual meeting to plead for ERCOT representation on the ERO’s board.
“I’m not going to surprise anyone on the board when I say what I’m about to say,” Walker said, following NERC Trustee Suzanne Keenan’s introduction during the Texas Reliability Entity Board of Directors’ meeting Wednesday. “I feel very strongly that NERC needs to consider having a member on the board from the ERCOT region that understands this interconnection,” echoing comments she made during the Texas RE board’s December meeting. (See “Walker Raises Concerns with NERC Representation,” Texas Reliability Entity Briefs: Dec. 11, 2019.)
Keenan, in her third year on the 11-member independent board, was diplomatic in her response.
“Thanks for sharing that with me,” she said. “I am on the [Nominating] Committee this year, so I will definitely take your comments back.”
Texas RE board Chair Fred Day backed up Walker, saying, “I think I speak for the entire board … we all feel that way. It’s time we were represented on the board.”
NERC’s Compliance and Certification Committee, which advises the trustees on all facets of the ERO’s compliance monitoring and enforcement program, has revised its charter to eliminate six regionally allocated seats — one for each regional entity — and replace them with six at-large seats.
Staff Adjust Well to Working Remotely
Texas RE CEO Lane Lanford said some staff could be returning to the office as soon as July 6 but noted the date has already been moved three times.
“July 6 is just another date,” he said.
Lanford said those staffers that return to the office would do so on a voluntary basis, where they will find a different workspace with signage, one-way “streets” through the cubicles and social distance requirements at the coffee machines. The Texas RE may not hold in-person meetings until 2021, though the final decision hasn’t been made.
“We’re pretty good working this way,” Lanford said. “Two years ago, when he started practicing [working remotely], I was wondering what we would ever do taking this much time off. We haven’t had too many bumps in the road.”
He gave kudos to IT staff, saying they were able to improve remote connectivity on the fly.
Day, who is serving his last year on the board, also said he was looking forward to some “actual face time” with staff and directors before the year is out.
“Nothing beats being in the same room, talking,” he said. “Socially distancing, of course.”
Board Approves New RDA, Budget
The board unanimously approved a new regional delegation agreement (RDA) with NERC to replace the current agreement, which expires at year-end. The RDA, which was developed with NERC’s legal staff, includes the option for a five-year extension.
NERC plans to file all six REs’ RDAs with FERC for the latter’s approval by the end of June.
The board also approved a 2021 budget of $14.2 million, a 2.8% increase from 2020, and an “unmodified” audit of Texas RE’s 2019 financial statements with no reported findings. Salaries will increase by 3.2%, primarily because of three new compliance positions.
