President Donald Trump is making changes to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, replacing Neil Chatterjee with James Danly as chairman after differences in vision arose on the issue of climate change with the former.
FERC has jurisdiction around electricity markets, interstate natural gas and power transmission, and liquefied natural gas, and Chatterjee has boosted the commission's work on climate change, Axios reports.
In a policy statement released last month, for example, FERC suggested regional power market operators it oversees incorporate state-based carbon pricing policies into those markets.
"These rules could improve the efficiency and transparency of the organized wholesale markets by providing a market-based method to reduce GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions," Chatterjee said.
Though the White House did not comment on why the president removed the former chairman from his role, some believe his action on carbon pricing cost him the job.
"I have obviously been out there promoting a conservative market-based approach to carbon mitigation and sending signals the commission is open to considering a carbon price, and perhaps that led to this," Chatterjee told the Washington Examiner.
Danly has praised Chatterjee's "lasting impact through his commitment to protecting competitive markets."
Chatterjee said on Twitter that he plans to remain on the commission until his term ends next June and that he looks forward to working with Danly. The new chairman's tenure could be brief, however, as a Democrat would likely be appointed to lead FERC if Democrat nominee Joe Biden wins the presidential election.
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