President Joe Biden has named Willie Phillips as chair of the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), a promotion from his last year serving as "acting chair" oftheindependent agency that oversees the electric grid, pipelines and LNG export facilities.
Phillips, a Democrat, has so far avoided major controversies since taking charge of the agency in January 2023, regularly striking compromises with Republican commissioners to allow construction of new natural gas pipelines and LNG export facilities. The promotion suggests Phillips is likely to lead FERC through at least the end of Biden's first term, although the title change will have no substantive effect on the agency's orders.
"FERC will maintain an important role in spurring access to reliable, affordable carbon-free energy moving across the country," the White House said in its announcement.
FERC is responsible for overseeing wholesale electricity markets, the federal certification of new interstate natural gas pipelines and LNG terminals, hydropower facility licensing, and the rates charged by interstate oil and natural gas pipelines.
Phillips' bipartisan approach to regulation has support from key industry groups and, crucially, from US Senate Energy Natural Resources Committee chairman Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia), who blocked former FERC chair Richard Glick from serving past 2022 because of frustration over his policies, including a since-stalled plan to overhaul a decades-old policy governing the approval of natural gas pipelines.
"Phillips has proven time and time again that he was the right person to lead this ever-important agency from the start," Manchin said.
FERC at full strength has five commissioners, one of whom serves as chairman, but the agency currently consists of Phillips, Democratic commissioner Allison Clements and Republican commissioner Mark Christie. Biden has yet to nomination anyone for the two vacancies at the agency, which would require confirmation by the US Senate to begin serving.
