The Senate confirmed by voice vote Nov. 30 the nominations of Allison Clements and Mark Christie to be commissioners on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) (OGJ Online, Nov. 18, 2020).
The vote brings FERC up to a full complement of five commissioners. Christie is a Republican choice and Clements a Democratic choice, giving the commission three Republicans and two Democrats.
Because of FERC’s role in approving interstate natural gas pipelines and the rates charged by interstate oil pipelines, the American Petroleum Institute issued a statement from its director of natural gas markets, Dustin Meyer, welcoming the action.
“The commission’s work reviewing and permitting interstate infrastructure projects is more important than ever while we try to get Americans back to work,” Meyer said.
Christie was confirmed for a term expiring June 30, 2025, and Clements was confirmed for a term expiring June 30, 2024.
Christie was chairman of the Virginia State Corporation Commission and has taught regulatory law at the University of Virginia School of Law.
Clements most recently was a consultant. She formerly was an attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, where she worked as corporate counsel and then director of the environmental group’s Sustainable FERC Project. She also represented utilities and independent power producers when she worked at law firm Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders.
