Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick demands ERCOT reverse board pay raises

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has called on the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) board to reverse recent pay increases for its members and leadership. The rebuke follows a board meeting where directors approved a 30% pay raise for themselves, bringing their average annual compensation to approximately $219,375.

Additionally, the board initially moved to approve a multiyear compensation package for ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas. While documents suggested potential earned compensation could reach $6.4 million by 2027, Vegas clarified that actual pay would be closer to $4.1 million. Following Patrick’s public criticism—which argued that such raises are inappropriate while electricity costs for Texans have risen by an average of 40% since 2020—Vegas stated the new agreement will not be carried out and he will remain on his existing contract through 2027.

Patrick expressed a loss of faith in board chair Bill Flores and suggested that if current members are unwilling to reverse the increases, they should be replaced by individuals dedicated to public service.