Dear Fellow Texans:
The future of Texas is dependent upon clean, reliable power at reasonable prices. Texas families and businesses deserve a clean environment and they demand reliable, least-cost power to cool and heat their homes, fuel their businesses, and allow them to be competitive in the global marketplace.
I am proud of the strong reputation Texas has earned as a leader in bringing competition to the electric marketplace, and would like to see the same visionary approach adopted in the debate over power generation capacity.
Therefore, I am proud to launch Power Across Texas, a 501(c)(3), to help educate the public with balanced, well-documented research and analysis on environmentally sound approaches ensuring reliable power at the lowest possible price for all Texans.
I hope that you will join our cause!
Very truly yours,
Rebecca A. Klein
Chairman, Power Across Texas
Rebecca A. Klein
With more than 18 years of extensive federal and state experience in public law, energy and telecommunications, Rebecca A. Klein serves as Of Counsel in the Austin and DC office.
Ms. Klein's Washington D.C. experience includes working for the Secretary of the United States Air Force on legislative matters; serving in the White House of President George H.W. Bush; and overseeing accounts in various multilateral banks at the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. Ms. Klein also headed the development of the Washington, DC, Office of Government Affairs and Industry Relations for KPMG Consulting (now Bearing Point). Additionally, Ms. Klein served as a senior fellow with Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business, facilitating the school's interest in interacting with members of the U.S. Congress.
At the State level, Ms. Klein served as a policy director for then-Governor George W. Bush and engaged in a variety of statewide projects in the areas of telecommunications, energy, housing, technology, and banking. She was appointed in 2001 by Gov. Rick Perry as commissioner, and subsequently as chairman, of the Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC), a position which she held until January 2004.
A Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, Ms. Klein earned the National Defense Service Medal and Southwest Asia Service Ribbon for service in Saudi Arabia during Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and was also selected by the Texas governor as a member of the state's Homeland Defense Task Force. Ms. Klein sits on advisory boards to include Saber Partners, a financial advisory firm in New York City; StraightWay, a teen drug rehabilitation organization, and the Federal Communication Commission Diversity Advisory Board.
- Juris Doctor, St. Mary's University School of Law
- Master of Arts, Georgetown University
- Bachelor of Arts, Stanford University
- Member, State Bar of Texas
Mr. Jones joined ERCOT on December 1, 1996, as its first Independent System Operations Director. In March 2000, he was appointed as Executive Vice President and COO of ERCOT. He was named President and Chief Executive Officer in May of 2006.
Prior to joining ERCOT, Mr. Jones was employed by the City of Austin Electric Utility in Texas for over 35 years. During his career with the City of Austin, he held engineering and management positions in the areas of distribution, transmission, substation, generation and system operations. Mr. Jones retired from the City of Austin as the Director of Generation and Energy Control.
Mr. Jones has been active in inter-utility reliability work for over 27 years. He is a two-time past chair of the ERCOT Operating Subcommittee and the past chair of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Operating Committee. He has also chaired or participated in numerous NERC and ERCOT committees and task forces, including the NERC Reliability Assessment Subcommittee.
Mr. Jones has a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and is a Registered Professional Engineer in Texas.
King serves as Chairman of the Regulated Industries Committees, one of the most powerful committees in the Texas House, where he has worked to promote competition in the electricity and telecommunications markets. King co-chairs the Electric Utility Restructuring Legislative Oversight Committee, a joint committee of the Texas House and Senate. King also serves on the Civil Practices Committee and the Redistricting Committee. Additionally, he sits as a member of the joint House and Senate Committee on the Power of Eminent Domain. King is also on the board of directors for the Tower Institute for Strategic Analysis and Action in Public Policy, an organization that encourages the principles of economic liberty, limited government, and personal responsibility.
Since his election in 1998, King has made an impact on Texas public policy. In 1999, he was named “Freshman Legislator of the Year” by his colleagues, “Rookie Legislator of the Year” by Texas Monthly, and “Crime Fighter of the Year” by the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas. In his second term, he was named a “Fighter for Free Enterprise” by the Texas Association of Business for his work on pro-business issues, and was honored by the Texas State Rifle Association for legislation implementing a firearms safety program in public schools.
During the 78th Legislature and the following Special Sessions, King authored the congressional redistricting legislation. King was also recognized as “Legislator of the Year” by the Texas Association of Builders for his work on HB 730. This bill was designed to reduce litigation costs for homebuilders and buyers, and has been utilized as model legislation in other states.
In 2005, King was the House sponsor of Senate Bill 5, which modernized our state’s telecommunications laws. SB 5 has been hailed nationally for its groundbreaking provisions in opening the cable television market to greater competition, and has also been the subject of wide praise for its impact on technology investment in Texas. For his leadership on SB 5, King was named a “Legislator of the Year” by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a bi-partisan organization of over 2,400 state legislators committed to Jeffersonian principles of limited government, free enterprise, federalism, and individual liberty. ALEC recently adopted the principles of SB 5 as “model legislation” to be considered in other states.
A strong voice for faith and families, King has been a driving force in passing key pro-life legislation such as parental notification and parental consent. He was named “Outstanding Legislator of the Year” by the Texas Alliance for Life and in 2006 received the “Defender of Life” award from The Justice Foundation. He has also been awarded the “Freedom and Family Award” by Texas Eagle Forum and has been recognized by the Free Market Foundation for his support of pro-family legislation.
King was recently sworn in as a Major in the Texas State Guard, one of three branches of the Military Forces of the State of Texas. The Guard assists and augments the Texas National Guard and Texas Civil Authorities during state emergencies and in homeland security.
Prior to serving in the legislature, King served as a Captain in the Fort Worth Police Department, an instructor at Dallas Baptist University and a Parker County Justice of the Peace. He received a BBA and MBA from Dallas Baptist University and in 1993 earned a law degree from Texas Wesleyan University. Currently, he is a practicing attorney in Weatherford. Representative King and his family are active members of Trinity Bible Church. Phil and his wife Terry are the proud parents of six children and three grandchildren.
Representative Straus is a principal in the insurance and executive benefits firm of Watson, Mazur, Bennett & Straus, L.L.C. He is affiliated with National Financial Partners, a leading financial services company in the insurance, investments, and benefits industry.
From 2000 through 2004, Mr. Straus served on the TexPool Advisory Board assisting in the administration of this investment option for local governments in Texas.
Representative Straus was selected by the Speaker of the House to attend the National Conference of State Legislatures' 2006 Leadership Institute for legislators who show outstanding leadership promise and the ability to effect change. He also serves on the NCSL Communications, Financial Services and Interstate Commerce Committee.
Representative Straus is an active Republican previously serving on the Management Committee of the Bexar County Republican Party, precinct chairman, and numerous campaign committees for federal, state, and local candidates. He served in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1989 through 1991 as Deputy Director of Business Liaison at the U.S. Department of Commerce and also in the Reagan administration as Executive Assistant to the Commissioner of Customs. In 1986, he was U.S. Representative Lamar Smith's campaign manager in Smith's first race for Congress.
A lifelong San Antonian, Mr. Straus currently serves on the Board of Governors of the Cancer Therapy and Research Center as well as on the Texas Cord Blood Bank. Previously Mr. Straus served on the Board of Directors of the San Antonio Zoological Society, the Texas Nature Conservancy, and the Winston School.
Mr. Straus is a graduate of Vanderbilt University with a B.A. in Political Science. He is an avid sportsman with a lifelong passion for Thoroughbred horseracing and breeding. He is married to Julie Brink Straus. They have two daughters, Sara and Robyn.
For 23 years Mr. Webb taught courses on various aspects of energy regulation at the law schools of the University of Houston and the University of Texas. He has twice served as Chair of the Public Utility Section of the State Bar of Texas and has been active in various sections of the American Bar Association. He currently serves as President of the Texas Renewable Electric Industries Association (TREIA).
In 1993 he founded Gulf Coast Power Connect, Inc., the first proposed independent electric transmission company in Texas. In 1997 he co-founded Power Choice, Inc., a federally licensed power marketer, to promote competitive retail markets for electricity. Power Choice formed competitive electric distribution utilities and developed distributed generation. Power Choice has changed its name to Texas Energy Innovation, Inc. and now fosters the development of energy alternatives, including renewable energy facilities. Mr. Webb also serves as advisor and counsel to Proven Concepts, Inc. on well audits and gas production issues with gathering and pipeline companies.
Mr. White is a founder of and Chairman & CEO for Standard Renewable Energy Group in Houston. He is a director in the Greater Houston Partnership. Mr. White is also chairman of the board of the Ed Rachal Foundation, chairman of the board of Texas Institute for Genomic Medicine, former director of the Texas Lyceum Association, member of Leadership Houston Class III, fellow of the American Leadership Forum and a member of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo International Committee.
Mr. White has been a director of the Texas A&M University Association of Former Students, the Texas Aggie Bar Association and a member of the Texas A&M Corps Development Council, the Texas A&M College of Education Council, the Texas A&M LegisLeader program and the Texas A&M Vision 2020 project. He also served as an executive committee member of the University of Texas Law Alumni Association from 2002-2008. Mr. White is also a past member of the Board of Visitors, Texas A&M University at Galveston.
Mr. White is a fellow of the American, Texas and Houston Bar Associations and Foundations, and past chairman of the Texas Young Lawyers Association and of the Harris County Grievance Committee for the State Bar of Texas. He is permitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit and U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Eastern and Northern Districts of Texas.
Mr. White was appointed to the Board of Regents by Governor Rick Perry in 2003. He was elected Vice Chairman of the Board in 2007, having been elected as Chairman of the Board from 2005-2007. Mr. White serves as chairman of the Committee on Audit and as a member of the Committee on Academic and Student Affairs and the Hermann F. & Minnie Belle Heep Texas A&M University Foundation. He also serves as the System Athletic Liaison and as the Board’s special liaison for the Board for Lease of University Lands. Mr. White has served as a member of the Committee on Finance, the Committee on Buildings and Physical Plant and the Presidential Library Committee. He has also served as chair of the Policy Review Committee and as the Board’s special liaison to the Texas Growth Fund Board and the Texas A&M University Association of Former Students. His term expires February 1, 2009.
Dr. Webber has led research projects for policy issues relevant to energy, innovation and national security. He has commercial experience at a start-up where he invented cutting-edge laser-based gas-sensing instrumentation for homeland security, industrial and environmental monitoring applications. While at Stanford, he developed diode laser-based gas sensors for applications such as monitoring environmental emissions, analyzing space station bioreactors and optimizing combustion. Webber has given more than 100 speeches and presentations to a range of technical and general audiences, as well as executive briefings to senior decision makers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the U.S. Department of Defense and Hondas American research and development center.
Hunt Oil Company was founded in 1934 by H.L. Hunt and is one of the largest privately-owned energy companies in the world. Hunt’s responsibilities at Hunt Oil are focused on its LNG efforts, its special project initiatives and its general administrative and managerial operations.
Hunt Power was established in 1998 to seek opportunities in the electric utility industry. Hunt Power’s largest project to-date has been the creation of Sharyland Utilities, L.P., a transmission and distribution electric utility located in South Texas. Sharyland Utilities was the first new electric utility created in Texas in more than 30 years, and since its creation, it has consistently been recognized as one of the most reliable electric utilities in ERCOT, as reported to the Public Utility Commission of Texas. Hunt serves as president of Sharyland Utilities.
Sharyland Utilities currently owns and operates a 150 MW High Voltage Direct Current interconnection with Mexico, which allows power to flow between the two countries while keeping any disruptions on either electric grid localized (in effect, a “firewall”). Completed in October 2007, the DC interconnection provides reliability benefits to both sides of the border, and is the first interconnection with Mexico anywhere along the US-Mexican border that supports commercial-sized trade of electricity.
Hunt Power has four subsidiaries. MeterSmart provides meter data management services and demand response products to more than 40 different utilities across the U.S. and to large industrial customers. It is an active player in the demand response industry. Hunt Transmission Services assists Sharyland Utilities in actively searching for new opportunities to grow its existing operations beyond its current service territory. Hunt Generation Investments is a limited partner of US Power Generating Company (“USPG”), an entity that controls more than 20 percent of the electric capacity in the New York City area and 50 percent of the electric capacity in Boston, Massachusetts. Hunt serves on the board of USPG. Hunt Energy Enterprises invests in early stage energy technology ventures that focus specifically on the use of technology applications to produce disruptive business opportunities both in the traditional energy industries and in the renewable and cleantech power markets.
In addition to his responsibilities with Hunt Oil and Hunt Power, he is also involved in special projects that occur at Hunt Refining Company, a company that controls three refineries in Alabama and Mississippi.
Prior to joining Hunt Consolidated, he worked with the investment bank of Morgan Stanley for almost eight years. He joined the Natural Resources Group in 1990, covering the major oil companies and gas transmission companies out of the New York Office. He transferred to the London office in 1991, where he covered the European integrated oil companies.
In 1993, Hunt joined Morgan Stanley’s Commodities Group in London, where he traded electricity in the deregulated electricity market of England and Wales. He returned to New York in 1996 to join Morgan Stanley’s electricity efforts in the U.S. He worked extensively on a long-term, fixed price power transaction with Oglethorpe Power Corporation, in which Morgan Stanley provided Oglethorpe long-term, fixed price power in exchange for access to their supply resources. The Oglethorpe transaction remains one of the largest power marketing transactions completed to date. Hunt left Morgan Stanley for Hunt Consolidated in 1998.
He took a leave of absence from the Hunt organization in September 1999 to work for the Bush for President Campaign in Austin, Texas. He worked in the Policy Department, serving as the primary Policy Advisor responsible for energy issues. He also closely covered taxes, budget, and Social Security. He rejoined the Hunt organization in January 2001.
Hunt serves on the boards of the SMU School of Engineering, the Dallas County Community College District Foundation, the Circle Ten Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, and the All Stars Program, a national community outreach charity headquartered in New York City. He is also chair of SMU’s 21st Century Council.
Mr. Cohagan serves as a board member of Power Across Texas, as a Commissioner on the City of Austin’s Resource Management Commission, and as a member of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce Clean Energy Council.
Mr. Cohagan graduated with high honors from the University of Texas School of Law and holds a Master of Environmental Management degree from Duke University.