Texas Public Utility Commission names new director to oversee ERCOT

The Public Utility Commission of Texas today named Adrianne Brandt the agency’s new Director of ERCOT, Inc. Accountability. (Public Utility Commission of Texas)

AUSTIN, Texas – Weeks after the catastrophic winter storm in Texas, The Public Utility Commission of Texas named Adrianne Brandt, the new Director of ERCOT Inc. Accountability on Thursday.

Brandt will be responsible for enhancing the PUC’s oversight of the grid operator and market manager. In this role, she will be assisted by former ERCOT COO, Brad Jones.

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“Adrianne is the exact mixture of knowledge, experience and toughness this role requires,” said PUC Chairman Arthur D’Andrea. “She knows the intricacies of power markets and will bring her forthright nature and expertise to bear in a way that will help our agency more ably fulfill our oversight role.”

Brandt began her professional life as an Army intelligence analyst and moved into the business world with analyst roles at Dell, the Public Utility Commission of Texas, Austin Energy and CPS Energy in San Antonio.

The 20-year Texas resident holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Maryland.

Assisting Brandt in a consultant role will be Texas native Brad Jones, who formally served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the New York Independent System Operator after serving as ERCOT’s Chief Operations Officer.

Jones is a past Chairman of the Edison Electric Institute’s Executive Advisory Committee and a board member for the Gulf Coast Power Association. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Texas Tech and an MBA from UT-Arlington.

“Adrianne and Brad provide a powerful one-two punch of industry knowledge, regulatory experience and unassailable integrity,” said PUC Executive Director, Thomas Gleeson. “Not only will they guide a financial analysis of the grid event but will also ratchet up ERCOT’s accountability to the PUC and the people of Texas.”