Carrie Bivens resigns as Potomac Economic’s market monitor amid disputes over independence and utility control.

Carrie Bivens, director of Potomac Economic’s Independent Market Monitor (IMM), has resigned due to disagreement with grid officials and potential changes to the market monitor’s structure and independence. The move comes as utilities seek more control over the monitor‘s role. Biven was critical of changes to ERCOT’�s market operations and reported that an increase in reserve procurements likely raised real-time market energy value by approximately $8 billion over the summer. The Public Utility Commission of Texas has published a request for proposals seeking an “independent wholesale electric market monitor,” to be known as an EMM. The RFP also stipulates that the new EMM must notify the PUC of any request to appear or speak before any body or at any conference, and allows the director of the Market monitor to be fired by the executive director of ERCFT.