Senate Democrats on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee joined Wednesday to press President Trump to end the crisis at the nation’s grid watchdog by immediately nominating new members.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has been without a quorum for more than a month, essentially forcing it to shut down amid major questions over the state of the nation’s energy system. The five-member panel oversees the country’s wholesale electric markets, while approving major natural gas pipelines, energy export terminals, power plant construction and transmission lines.
“We write to request that you act to restore the quorum by nominating individuals that will honor the commission’s statutory missions to ensure that jurisdictional rates are just and reasonable, prohibit market manipulation, protect electric grid reliability, oversee energy infrastructure development in a balanced manner and provide for the licensing and safe operation of many of our nation’s hydroelectric dams,” 14 Democrats said in a joint letter to Trump led by the energy committee’s top Democrat, Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington with the support of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.
Democrats have been mainly silent since the grid agency was forced to curtail its activities after Norman Bay, its former chairman and an Obama appointee, resigned in the wake of Trump naming Democratic Commissioner Cheryl LaFleur as acting chairwoman.
The resignation left FERC without at least three members needed to form a quorum, forcing it to refrain from all decisions and votes on major energy projects, regulatory decisions and other activities until it gets enough members. The commission is supposed to be comprised of five members made up of equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats, with the chairman being of the same party as the president.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, chairwoman of the Senate energy committee, immediately implored Trump last month to name new nominees to the influential commission, saying she would personally shuttle them through the confirmation process on Capitol Hill. But Trump has yet to announce nominees.
The Democrats also urged Trump to ensure that they, with the GOP, are part of the process in choosing new nominees.
“We also ask that you consult with Senate Republicans and Democrats to select nominees of both parties to serve on the commission, which is consistent with both the requirements of the Department of Energy Organization Act and the long-standing tradition of the Senate,” the letter stated.
“FERC has a long tradition of bipartisanship. In fact, most commission votes are unanimous,” the letter stated. “In 2016, less than 2 percent of the orders issued included a dissenting opinion,” it added. “We hope that your nominees will be prepared to continue this tradition and we intend to review them through that lens during the confirmation process.”
At the same time, FERC is becoming more politicized each year. Environmental groups have begun targeting it, seeing its activities as benefiting fossil fuels and fracking, which they say are exacerbating the effects of global warming.
The letter came as environmentalists prepared to start a nationwide campaign Wednesday to stop Trump from getting new nominees through the Senate.
