Cheryl Mele will become senior vice president and chief operating officer (COO) for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the independent system operator of the electric grid and competitive electric markets serving most of Texas.
Mele, currently deputy general manager and COO of Austin Energy, will begin the new role in mid-January.
‘We believe Cheryl's leadership experience, deep knowledge of this evolving industry and understanding of ERCOT's unique grid and market characteristics have prepared her to lead our grid and market operations to continuing success,’ says Bill Magness, ERCOT's general counsel, who will become president and CEO on Jan. 1.
Mele, a registered professional engineer in Texas, has worked nearly 30 years in the power industry, including positions as an engineer and system programmer with GE, prior to joining Austin Energy in 1991.
ERCOT manages the flow of electric power to nearly 24 million Texas customers – representing about 90% of the state's electric load. As the independent system operator for the region, ERCOT schedules power on an electric grid that connects more than 43,000 miles of transmission lines and 550 generation units.
