AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Texas’ power grid manager has been fired following February’s deadly blackouts that left millions of people without electricity and heat for days.
The board of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas fired CEO Bill Magness on Wednesday. He is the highest-ranking official to lose his job in the wake of one of the worst power outages in U.S. history.
More than 4 million customers in Texas lost electricity as the state’s power grid buckled in subfreezing weather.
The winter storm and ensuing blackout have been blamed for at least 40 deaths, but the exact toll likely won’t be known for months.
Magness made $803,000 annually, which he told state house legislators last week comes from Texans paying their electric bills.
He made comment publicly about the decision
(Copyright 2021 WBAP/KLIF 24/7 News. This report contains material from The Associated Press.)