The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission gets new members!
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is an independent agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. Its responsibilities include:
- Regulating the interstate transmission and wholesale sale of electricity and natural gas
- Overseeing rates for interstate transport of petroleum by pipeline
- Reviewing proposals to build interstate natural gas pipelines, natural gas storage projects, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals
- Licensing non-federal hydropower projects
FERC is headed by five commissioners who are nominated by the U.S. president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. There may be no more than three commissioners of one political party serving on the commission at any given time.
FERC is set to welcome a new slate of members. After recently getting over the final hurdles to Senate confirmation, two Democrats and a Republican are joining FERC. The additions bring the commission up to its full five-member complement.
The two Democrats joining the commission are Judy Chang, a former energy and climate official in Massachusetts, and David Rosner, a former aide to Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia. West Virginia Solicitor General Lindsay See joins as a Republican member.
Chair Willie Phillips, a Democrat, congratulated the trio of new FERC appointees in a statement: “The Commission works best when it has five members” and will “work collaboratively to ensure reliable, affordable and sustainable energy for all consumers.”
Judy Chang has voiced uncertainty about gas infrastructure in New England. In her confirmation, however, she did not express the same doubt for the energy source and responded by saying that natural gas will continue to be an important part of the U.S. energy mix in the coming decades.
David Rosner was considered the most bipartisan candidate of the three and the least likely to stir controversy among lawmakers. Even though he is a Democrat, he has expressed support for some Republican energy priorities such as promoting the export of liquefied natural gas.
Lindsay See, as West Virginia’s solicitor general, has a history of fighting environmental rule-making and arguing for the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a 304-mile natural gas pipeline being built from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia.
Democrats will continue to retain a majority on the commission and the chair is responsible for setting FERC’s agenda. With all commissioner positions filled, their actions should provide the regulatory certainty necessary for investment in America’s energy infrastructure. The commission will work to ensure the U.S. has the needed infrastructure to provide Americans with secure, reliable, and affordable access to natural gas, electricity, and other transportation fuels.
