AUSTIN – A new permanent leader of the main grid operator for Texas takes the helm this week.
In August, the board of directors of the Energy Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) announced that Pablo Vegas will take over as the President and CEO for ERCOT effective Oct. 1.
ERCOT has been without a permanent chief executive officer since the early months of 2021, when former CEO Bill Magness was fired after the failure of the grid during the catastrophic winter storm.
“In Pablo, we’ve found a leader for ERCOT with deep experience at one of the nation’s largest regulated utilities, who brings a strong record of operational excellence managing system growth with a diverse and rapidly evolving energy mix.
He clearly understands the challenges we face in Texas as one of the fastest growing and most dynamic energy grids in the United States, and how to meet them,” said ERCOT board chair Paul Foster. “ERCOT has implemented landmark reliability reforms under the outstanding interim leadership of Interim CEO Brad Jones, and Pablo will put his own extensive background in operations, engineering, and customer service to work building on that legacy for the people of Texas.”
Vegas has over 27 years of experience in the electric and gas industries and in management consulting. Previously, he served as Executive Vice President of NiSource and Group President of NiSource Utilities.
Additionally, Vegas served as President and Chief Operating Officer for American Electric Power (AEP) Texas. One of his many executive roles at AEP included President and Chief Operating Officer of AEP Ohio. He is a trustee of the American Gas Association Foundation and a member of the Society of Gas Lighting and Young Presidents’ Organization. Vegas received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan and attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
