Federal Energy Regulatory Commission nominees are set to win approval on the Senate floor early next week (June11). The Senate last week (June 4) approved the nomination of Christopher Hanson for a second five-year term as NRC chairman. His term was set to expire June 30.
Senate Majority leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said procedural floor debate on FERC nominee David Rosner will begin on Tuesday.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee easily approved the three nominees (two Democrats and one Republican) to FERC, meaning the full five-member commission could soon be in place. Currently FERC has two commissioners with solid appointments – Chairman Willie Phillips, a Democrat whose term expires June 30, 2026, and Republican Mark Christie, with a term expiring June 30, 2025.
Commissioner Allison Clements, a Democrat, has a term expiring this June 30. She has publicly said FERC’s June meeting will be here lest when the new commissioners are approved.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee easily approved the three nominees (two Democrats and one Republican) to FERC, meaning the full five-member commission could soon be in place. Currently FERC has two commissioners with solid appointments – Chairman Willie Phillips, a Democrat whose term expires June 30, 2026, and Republican Mark Christie, with a term expiring June 30, 2025.
Commissioner Allison Clements, a Democrat, has a term expiring this June 30. She has publicly said FERC’s June meeting will be here lest when the new commissioners are approved.
The FERC nominees are unlikely to face any problem when their nominations come to the floor, as they have strong bipartisan backing. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) the ranking Republican on the committee, voted for all of the nominees and said, “Too much is at stake for American workers, for our energy security, and for our nation’s economy. While I may not agree with each of the nominees at all times, all of them are well qualified.”
The FERC nominees are:
Judy Chang, Democrat and principal at Boston-based Analysis Group. She was a Massachusetts government energy official under former Republican Gov. Charlie Baker (currently the head of the NCAA college sports regulator). He term would expire in 2029.
Lindsay See, Republican and currently the solicitor general of West Virginia. She’s a Harvard Law graduate and member of the conservation Federalist Society. Her term would expire in 2028.
David Rosner, a Democrat and FERC staffer on loan to the committee’s Democratic staff for the past two years. His term would expire in 2027.
Hanson won approval for an NRC term ending in 2029 by a vote of 81-17. He’s been a member of the commission since 2020, appointed by President Trump. President Biden named him chairman in January 2021. He has a background in religious studies and environmental analysis. He served on the staff of the Senate Appropriations Committee and at the Department of Energy before being named to the NRC.
Judi Greenwald, executive director of the Nuclear Innovation Alliance, said that Hanson “understands the importance of nuclear energy for meeting our climate and energy challenge. He has promoted effective and efficient licensing reviews, prioritized agency independence, and helped maintain public confidence in the NRC as a trusted safety regulator.”
–Kennedy Maize
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