Texas Public Utility Commission Chair Peter Lake to Resign

(Bloomberg) -- Peter Lake announced he will step down as chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas less than a week after lawmakers pushed through power-market reforms meant to prevent a repeat of the deadly February 2021 blackouts. 

Lake, who was appointed to the role by Governor Gregg Abbott in April 2021, said he plans to depart by the end of the month in an email to PUC staff Friday according to an email seen by Bloomberg. His term was set to expire on Sept. 1. 

“No one — absolutely no one — thought we could keep the lights on... but we did,” Lake said in the email to staff.

The commission still faces challenges but will continue to make progress on reforming the grid, Lake said in an emailed statement to Bloomberg News.

(Updates with PUC comment in the last paragraph.)

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