ERCOT Board Elects Laura Doll as Chair

Michehl Gent elected vice-chair.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) Board of Directors today elected regulatory and governmental affairs professional Laura Doll as chair, and former interim chair Michehl Gent as vice-chair.

Doll said she is looking forward to organization stabilization and improved market performance following the grid operator’s successful nodal market launch in December 2010.

"I anticipate the board will continue to operate at a high level of performance," Doll said, "and we will recommit to maintaining our own board key performance indicators as we move ahead." 

Doll joined the ERCOT board in June 2010.  She previously served a three-year term on the California ISO Board of Governors from January 2008 to December 2010.

She was former vice president of governmental and public affairs for Santa Monica-based Woodside Natural Gas Inc.  Prior to that, she served as the deputy executive director for policy at the California Public Utilities Commission.

Earlier, Doll served as chief executive officer for the California Consumer Power and Conservation Authority (better known as the California Power Authority).

Doll began her professional career with Austin Energy, where she spent 14 years, ultimately becoming the chief administrative officer.  Her career also includes time as director of customer service for Grande Communications; director at Navigant Consulting Inc.; and senior vice president at Planergy, Inc., all based in Austin.

Doll is a resident of Austin and holds a master’s degree from the University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs and a bachelor of arts from Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

Gent has served as interim chair since May 2010 after the departure of former chair Jan Newton.  Gent is the former president and CEO of the North American Electric Reliability Council and has more than 40 years of experience in electric reliability, primarily with reliability councils.  He joined the ERCOT board in 2006.

State law mandates the chair be one of the five independent members – unaffiliated with ERCOT market participants – on the 16-member "hybrid" board. Other board members include three consumer segment representatives (industrial, commercial and residential); the ERCOT CEO; the Public Utility Commission chairman (non-voting); and one representative from each of the six industry segments – investor-owned utilities (or transmission owners), municipally-owned utilities, cooperatives, generators, power marketers and retail electric providers.

Additional information online:

ERCOT Board of Directors