New FERC Chair Expected to Eye Both Natural Gas and Renewables

David Rosner, new chair of the Federal Power Regulatory Fee, takes the helm at a unstable time as vitality prices and demand are rising, energy grid reliability and capability are challenged and main Trump administration reversals in vitality coverage are underway,.

President Donald Trump elevated Rosner—a Democratic commissioner who joined the company in June 2024—to the highest publish on Aug. 12,

The American Clear Energy Affiliation stated Rosner’s “balanced, pragmatic strategy to coverage and concern for the pursuits of all stakeholders might be essential because the nation addresses rising electrical energy demand, prices and wish for expanded transmission and grid reliability,” stated CEO Jason Grumet in an announcement.  He stated Rosner is dedicated to evidence-based choice making and is expert at forging consensus.

Not all share that view, with the nomination criticized by some environmental teams together with Pals of the Earth. “Rosner has promoted the fuel and fossil gas trade for years and is way too biased to carry this place” the advocacy group stated in an Aug. 14 post on X. “Democrats who care concerning the local weather should reject this trade hack.”

‘Non-partisan’ Democrat

Rosner has almost twenty years of expertise throughout vitality applied sciences, together with his work as a FERC vitality trade analyst and as senior coverage advisor for the U.S. Dept. of Power’s Workplace of Power Coverage and Programs Evaluation. He additionally served two years on element to the Senate Power and Pure Assets Committee workers beneath then-Committee Chair Joe Manchin (D).

Rosner, together with present FERC commissioners Judy W. Chang (D) and Lindsay S. fill three of company’s 5 voting seats. Trump has nominated Republicans David LaCerte, senior advisor on the Workplace of Personnel Administration, and Laura Swett, an vitality lawyer and former FERC advisor, to fill the remaining seats. In response to media stories citing unnamed sources, Rosner might doubtlessly get replaced at FERC if LeCerte and Swett are confirmed.

Rosner changed former chair Mark Christie (R), who resigned on Aug. 8 when he was not reappointed after his time period expired.

Jon Wellinghoff, CEO and founding father of GridPolicy Consulting and former FERC chair within the Obama Administration, advised ENR that he is aware of Rosner and believes he’ll take a non-partisan strategy to management, supporting quite a lot of vitality initiatives together with renewables and transmission applied sciences.

Wellinghoff stated that one space of curiosity for Rosner will seemingly be grid-enhancing applied sciences—new, superior applied sciences comparable to digital switches and AI software program that may be built-in into the transmission grid to speed up its improvement and enhance operation and effectivity. Previous to turning into chair, Rosner expressed curiosity in these applied sciences, Wellinghoff stated.

However, as soon as FERC is totally staffed, it’s tough to say whether or not such applied sciences will acquire the bulk help wanted for motion, he stated.

“It has been arduous prior to now to maneuver these issues ahead, primarily as a result of utilities should not appropriately financially rewarded to place [them] in place,” he stated, including that [utilities] should not paid to be extra environment friendly. Wellinghoff stated he hopes Rosner will handle monetary incentives for utilities to spice up efficiencies.

Whereas it stays to be seen how knowledge facilities might be built-in into the grid, FERC might be on the forefront of that effort and Rosner will seemingly be open to listening to solutions, Wellinghoff stated.

“If I needed to summarize him in a sentence, [Rosner] is a centrist Democrat who is a good choose for improvement of pure fuel infrastructure,” stated Zack Perconti, vice chairman of presidency affairs for the Nationwide Utility Contractors Affiliation. The White Home has spotlighted his work to speed up improvement of energy for knowledge facilities to drive AI, which is one other plus, he stated, including that he believes the chair can even help the renewables sector. 

“For us, we’re hoping {that a} totally invigorated FERC will have the ability to pace up the timelines on initiatives and pace up the tempo of approval of all types of vitality,” Perconti added.

The utility contractors group, which touts an “all the above” vitality coverage, is worried about some Trump administration actions on renewables—and offshore wind, particularly, Perconti stated.

“We’ve obtained loads of members that do onshore work for the off-shore services, so we’re positively involved by the latest patterns occurring round these,” Perconti stated. The group plans to watch whether or not Rosner takes an all-of-the-above strategy to vitality coverage as soon as the 2 remaining Republican nominees are confirmed.

Current Actions

In an August 27 letter to OPM Director Scott Kupor, Rosner summarized FERC’s latest main actions. These embrace quite a few actions beneath the Pure Gasoline Act, comparable to supporting infrastructure improvement and issuing notices to proceed with development and repair for pure fuel infrastructure. Additionally famous was company protection of its orders in federal courtroom regarding certificates to authorize pure fuel pipeline development and operation, and FERC-issued environmental evaluation for proposed pure fuel infrastructure and for proposed hydropower initiatives beneath the Federal Energy Act, in addition to participation within the Virginia Nationwide Guard’s Cyber Fortress annual tactical-level Defensive Cyber Operations Train.