Senate advances energy regulator nominees despite uncertainty of floor vote

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted on Wednesday to advance the nominations of Allison Clements and Mark Christie to be commissioners at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

However, it’s not clear whether the two nominees, whose confirmations would restore the commission to a full five members, will get a floor vote as the Senate session comes to a close. 

Committee Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) acknowledged the time frame in her opening remarks on Wednesday. 

“It’s perhaps too early to say what the floor schedule will allow in December,” she said. “But if these nominees are confirmed, FERC would at least have a full complement of five commissioners headed into 2021, which is a far better place than the start of 2017.”

Neither nominee passed the committee unanimously.

Republican Sens. John Barrasso (Wyo.), Steve Daines (Mont.), John Hoeven (N.D.), Mike Lee (Utah) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (Miss.) voted against Clements, and Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) voted against Christie. 

FERC regulates natural gas and hydropower projects and the interstate transmission of natural gas, oil and electricity. It’s not supposed to have more than three members of any one party. 

Adding Clements and Christie, a Democrat and Republican, respectively, to the commission would create a 3-2 Republican majority on the panel. 

Republican James Danly was not paired with a Democratic nominee when he was added to the panel, and the Democratic seat on the commission was left empty. 

Leadership at FERC, which is up to the president’s discretion, recently underwent a shake-up, with Trump appointing Danly chairman, replacing Neil Chatterjee. Chatterjee, who is also a Republican, will remain on the commission. 

In remarks praising both nominees on Wednesday, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) called Chatterjee’s demotion “unjustified.”