President nominates GOP, Dem preferred appointees to complete FERC
A longtime
state regulator and the founder of an energy consulting startup are President
Trump’s two nominees to fill the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and
maintain a bipartisan balance within the commission.
Trump named
Virginia Corporation Commission Chairman Mark Christie and Goodgrid President
Allison Clements of Ohio. Christie was the preferred Republican nominee, while
Clements was touted on the Democratic side.
If confirmed, Christie and Clements would give FERC a full slate of five commissioners. Trump appointee Neil Chatterjee has been chairman since 2018, while Richard Glick and recent appointee James Danly fill out the commission that decides large-scale and interstate energy issues in the nation. Bernard McNamee’s term ended last month.
Christie has
served on the Virginia utility regulation board for 16 years. He has been
president of the Organization of PJM States Inc. and also served as president
of the Mid-Atlantic Conference of State Utility Regulators.
Before founding Goodgrid, an energy policy and strategy consulting firm, Clements spent two years as director of energy markets at Energy Foundation. She also held leadership roles with the Natural Resources Defense Council and in the energy regulatory group at the Troutman Sanders law firm (now Troutman Pepper).
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, is an independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission of natural gas, oil, and electricity. FERC also regulates natural gas and hydropower projects.
