Energy Law

New FERC Acting Chairman ? Supporting the President's Green Energy Reforms

By Colette Fozard

Consumer advocates and LNG opponents may take comfort in the recent appointment of Commission Jon Wellinghoff as the new acting FERC Chairman.  As a Commissioner he has distinguished himself through a spate of dissents opposing rate incentives for transmission developers and opposing LNG projects, notably the Sparrow's Point and the Bradwood Landing projects.

The new acting Chairman formerly served as a consumer advocate and an attorney in private practice in Nevada and focused on matters related to renewable energy, energy efficiency, and distributed generation.

Since joining FERC, Commissioner Wellinghoff helped establish the Energy Innovations Sector of FERC, a section that promotes new technologies.  He also helped draft Nevada's renewable energy standards, and recently wrote a paper on how to regulate hydrokinetic projects.  Mr. Wellinghoff has vocally supported President Obama's green energy platform and its focus on renewable resources and energy efficiency.  In supporting President Obama's emission reduction goals, the new acting Chairman has admonished regulators and automobile manufacturers to integrate the new plug-in electric vehicles into the national power grid. "If you're an automobile company, you'd better get on the bandwagon . . . because there is definitely going to be a move toward electrification," Wellinghoff recently was quoted.  He also said he could envision FERC playing a major role in supporting the President's proposals for a green energy economy. 

The impact of Commissioner Wellinghoff's temporary appointment is not clear, and many refuse to predict future policy choices.  However, LNG opponents and consumer advocate groups are excited, hoping that his direction will persuade existing Commissioners and new appointees to follow his leadership.  For one notable policy issue, the FERC Commissioners will have to balance the competing interests of developing often remote renewable resources with the consumer advocates opposed to rewarding transmission developers with incentive rates.

Full post as published by Energy Legal Blog on February 03, 2009 (boomark / email).