President Donald Trump nominates Neil Chatterjee and Robert Powelson to FERC
The White House announced Monday that President Donald Trump has nominated a number of people to key administration posts, including two nominees for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which approves pipelines in the United States.
After approving seven pipelines in 2017 FERC lost quorum with the resignation of Norman Bay, halting all project approval and leaving approximately $16.7 billion worth of pipeline projects in limbo. More recently, a second commissioner announced her resignation from the commission.
Nominees must be confirmed by the Senate. Former FERC Commissioner Tony Clark said in late March that, even if a nomination was made immediately, it would likely take until the end of May to reach a quorum. Going off that timeline, it could be early-July before a quorum is restored and FERC is able to restart the approval process for new pipelines.
With one FERC order per day being held up since FERC lost quorum in January, based on Clark’s estimations, the commission will have a backlog of projects to work through as well.
Trump’s nominees for the position are Neil Chatterjee of Kentucky and Robert Powelson of Pennsylvania. Chatterjee is currently the energy policy advisor to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell while Powelson has served as a Commissioner on the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) since 2008, according to the White House.
“Over the years he has played an integral role in the passage of major energy, highway, and farm legislation,” the White House press release said. “Prior to serving Leader McConnell, he worked as a Principal in Government Relations for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and as an aide to House Republican Conference Chairwoman Deborah Pryce of Ohio.
“Currently, Commissioner Powelson serves as the President of National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) based in Washington, DC. Commissioner Powelson serves on the Electric Power Research Institute Advisory Board (EPRI) as well as the Drexel University Board of Trustees. From 1994 to 2008, Powelson served as the President and CEO of the Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry based in Malvern, PA.”
Environmental groups are unhappy with the news, with New Jersey Sierra Club Director Jeff Tittel calling Powelson and Chatterjee “Mr. Coal and Mr. Fracing.”
“This is pretty devastating news,” Tittel said. “These guys are the fossil fuel boys… We’re going to fight their nominations, and we’re going to ask our senators to block them.”
FERC commissioners have their hands full
FERC may be best known for oil and gas pipeline permitting and regulation, but the agency does a lot more in the energy space, including regulating the transmission and wholesale sales of electricity in interstate commerce, reviewing certain mergers and acquisitions and corporate transactions by electricity companies and reviewing the siting application for electric transmission projects under limited circumstances.
FERC also oversees safety and reliability of proposed and operating LNG terminals, licenses and inspects hydroelectric projects, oversees reliability of the high voltage interstate transmission system, monitors and investigates energy markets, oversees environmental matters related to natural gas and hydroelectricity projects and administers accounting and financial reporting regulations and conduct of regulated companies.
