The Senate has confirmed three nominees to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, ensuring that Democrats will maintain their majority and that President Joe Biden’s influence on the key regulatory agency will last regardless of November’s election results.
The upper chamber voted Thursday 63-33 to confirm Democrat Judy Chang, the former undersecretary of Energy and Climate Solutions for Massachusetts. It had voted Wednesday to approve two other nominees, Democrat David Rosner and Republican Lindsey See.
“When it comes to fairly assessing all interests, five heads are better than one,” Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Joe Manchin said during a floor speech on Wednesday. “Bringing together five different people, with five different life experiences and perspectives, helps ensure that all affected interests will be heard and fairly considered and assessed.”
The five-member commission regulates the transmission of electricity across the U.S. and natural gas pipelines, and a Democratic majority could work to favor renewable energy. The slate of new commissioners ensures a Democratic working majority until at least June 2026.
Just last month, FERC finalized a long-awaited rule that would make it easier to boost renewable transmission capacity — and would aim to upgrade the nation’s aging power grid. Earlier this week, the agency also approved a request to begin operations on the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline.
One of the current commissioners, Allison Clements, is not seeking another term – and her current term expires at the end of June.
Chang previously worked as an energy official for the state of Massachusetts, advising on policy for the Commonwealth’s energy sector and creating strategies to fight climate change. Chang had faced scrutiny from Republicans on her work in the clean energy space, with GOP lawmakers confronting the nominee over her past remarks stating “it doesn’t make sense” for New England to invest in pipelines and was fiscally irresponsible to do so. However, she was still able to snag bipartisan support in her confirmation vote.
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Rosner’s – an energy analyst for FERC that served as a detailee for Democrats on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee – move to FERC serves as a significant promotion for the nominee. Rosner was also a senior policy advisor at the DOE’s Office of Energy Policy and Systems Analysis and an associate director at the Bipartisan Policy Center’s energy project. Manchin had recommended Rosner to the White House to serve on the body. He was confirmed Wednesday 67-27.
A pick from Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, See is the solicitor general of West Virginia, managing litigation for the state. Notably, See argued on behalf of red states and fossil fuel groups in West Virginia v. EPA – a landmark Supreme Court case that reeled in the EPA’s authority in regulating carbon emissions from power plants. She was also confirmed on Wednesday in a 83-12 vote.