ERCOT Announces New Board Members

(Austin, TX) – The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT) Board Selection Committee announced the selection of two new members, Alejandro “Alex” Hernandez and Sigmund “Sig” Cornelius, to serve on the Board of Directors. Hernandez’ and Cornelius’ three-year terms begin today, January 27.

"On behalf of our current members, we welcome Mr. Hernandez and Mr. Cornelius to our Board of Directors,” said ERCOT Board Chair Bill Flores. “Their extensive experience and leadership will add great value to the Board. We look forward to working with them as we continue to address the challenges and complexities of maintaining a reliable and resilient electric grid to power a fast-growing state and to provide opportunities for hardworking Texas families and businesses.”

Hernandez and Cornelius will succeed Directors Paul Foster and Robert “Bob” Flexon, who announced they were stepping down from the ERCOT Board in 2024.

ERCOT is governed by a 12-member Board of Directors and is subject to oversight by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Texas Legislature. All ERCOT Board members are Texas residents.

About Alex Hernandez
Mr. Hernandez has 20 years of experience in business formation, operations, executive leadership, and strategic advisory roles. Mr. Hernandez was founder and CEO of Cumulus Data, the first hyperscale data center platform directly connected to carbon-free nuclear power. Most recently, he served as CEO and Director of Talen Energy Corp and has also held a variety of senior management roles, including CFO of TerraForm Power Inc. and Managing Director at Goldman Sachs. He currently serves on the Board of Target Hospitality and is a member of the Audit and Compensation Committees. Mr. Hernandez also served on the Board and Executive Committee of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI).

Hernandez received a B.A. in Economics from Rice University and the London School of Economics, and an MBA from Columbia University.

About Sig Cornelius
Mr. Cornelius has worked in the energy industry for nearly 45 years in a variety of senior management positions and accumulated a significant level of board experience. Most recently, he served as President of Freeport LNG Development L.P., and as a Board Member before retiring in 2023. From 1980 to 2010, he held various senior leadership positions in the upstream, midstream, and corporate functions at ConocoPhillips Company, retiring as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 2010. He currently serves on the Board of Parex Resources and has previously served on the Board of multiple other public and private companies, including Western Refining Inc., NiSource Inc., Andeavor Logistics L.P., DCP Midstream L.P., Parallel Energy Trust, United States Enrichment Corporation, Carbo Ceramics Inc., Columbia Pipeline Group Inc., and Chevron Phillips Chemical Co.  

He received a BS degree from Iowa State University and MS degrees from both Purdue and Stanford Universities.

About the ERCOT Board Selection Committee
Since Senate Bill 2 (SB2) of the 87th Session of the Texas Legislature, the Public Utility Regulatory Act (PURA) has provided for the ERCOT Board Selection Committee to be composed of: one member appointed by the governor, one member appointed by the lieutenant governor, and one member appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives. All Selection Committee members must reside in Texas. With the assistance of a retained outside consulting firm, the Selection Committee selects eight members of the ERCOT Board of Directors. The Selection Committee selects members with executive-level experience in finance, business, engineering, trading, risk management, law, or electric market design and also designates the Board Chair and Vice Chair from those members.

Learn more about the ERCOT Board of Directors.

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