On September 16, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing to consider the nominations of Mark Christie, a Republican, and Allison Clements, a Democrat, as commissioners for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). During the hearing, both nominees noted their commitment to maintaining the independence of FERC and considering all appropriate information when making decisions. Clements discussed her “tremendous respect for FERC and its role as an independent, bipartisan commission,” noting her “commitment to keep an open mind” if her nomination is confirmed. Christie explained that he “will absolutely respect and defend that independence at the federal level as [he] ha[s] done at the state level” and that he would use the "
best available information in any case."
Also of note, Christie reaffirmed his belief that energy regulators, including FERC, have “a duty to inform the public of the true costs and benefits of public policies … the realistic costs that it will be forced to pay – and the realistic benefits it can expect...” The nominees also fielded questions on how climate science should be considered in FERC decisions and what role carbon pricing should play. The next step in the process is for the committee to take a vote on the nominees, which has yet to be scheduled.
Earlier this summer, the President announced the nominations of both Christie and Clements as FERC commissioners. If confirmed, they would round out FERC’s composition with three Republican and two Democrat members. Christie is currently the Chairman of the Virginia State Corporation Commission and is one of the nation’s longest-serving state utility regulators, having served for 16 years. Clements currently serves as the founder and president of Goodgrid, LLC, an energy policy and strategy consulting firm, and previously worked for a decade at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
A recording of the hearing, as well as the written testimony from both witnesses, is available
here. APGA staff will continue to keep members aware of any updates on these nominations.
For questions on this article or APGA’s engagement with FERC, please contact Renée Lani of APGA staff by phone at 202-464-0836 or by email at
rlani@apga.org.