Reports related to this article:
Project(s): View 1 related project in PECWeb
Plant(s): View 1 related plant in PECWeb
Released April 24, 2025 | SUGAR LAND
en
Written by Paul Wiseman for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Willie Phillips, who was appointed to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) by the Biden administration in 2021, resigned on Tuesday.
Phillips, a Democrat who chaired the commission from February 9, 2024, to January 3 this year, stepped down at the request of the Trump administration, according to news media reports.
Phillips' departure leaves the commission with two Democrats and two Republicans, opening the way for the Trump administration to appoint a replacement and have a Republican-majority panel.
FERC regulates interstate transmission and wholesale sale of electricity and natural gas. It also regulates the interstate prices of crude oil through pipelines, and oversees proposals for new interstate energy projects such as pipelines, natural gas storage and liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals. Non-federal hydropower is also under its jurisdiction.
Designed for bipartisanship, its membership is limited to no more than three members of any single party.
As a moderate Democrat, Phillips often voted with the two Republican commissioners. For example, Phillips in June 2024 voted in favor of permitting Venture Global LNG's (NYSE:VG) (Arlington, Virginia) CP2 LNG export project in Louisiana. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Oil & Gas Production Project and Plant databases can click here for the project report and click here for the plant profile.
Phillips' five-year term on the commission would have ended on June 30, 2026.
The current FERC chairman, Republican Mark Christie, will see his own term end on June 30 this year, but he might be able to stay at least somewhat longer. According to the National Law Review, "Upon expiration of a member's term, an individual commissioner may choose to continue at FERC until Congress goes out of session. This occurs frequently."
Environmental organizations were displeased by the turn of events. Said Evergreen Action Senior Power Sector Policy Lead Charles Harper, "Forcing Phillips out sets a dangerous precedent and politicizes a nonpartisan agency that Americans count on to keep the lights on and the grid stable."
Some in the reneweable energy industry were milder in their reactions. Caitlin Marquis, managing director of Advanced Energy United, said in a statement, "We sincerely thank Commissioner Phillips for his role in reforming critical energy issues during his tenure as Chairman and as a Commissioner at FERC. He has championed policies that empower stakeholders and make America's grid stronger, guiding the Commission to modernize transmission planning, generator interconnection, and electric reliability."
Federal regulators under Biden blocked a number of gas pipelines and other interstate projects, some of which were aimed at delivering U.S.-produced natural gas to homes and businesses in the Northeast. Trump campaigned on reducing regulatory burdens, speeding the permitting of energy projects, and reducing energy costs for consumers.
Trump has already impacted other energy-related agencies. In March, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the "biggest deregulatory action in U.S. history," rolling back a long list of Biden-era regulations on oil and gas, and on coal. A White House statement said, "His (Trump's) approach encourages industry to develop cost-effective solutions like improved emissions technologies rather than imposing unfeasible mandates that risk economic disruption."
There was no word as of Wednesday on a possible FERC replacement.
Significant issues face the agency this year, as an increasingly strained electric grid deals with ways to power the growth of data centers and an energy transition focused on electrification of factories and transportation. FERC also must balance the building of power sources, looking to new facilities for natural gas, wind, solar, nuclear and other energy sources, along with possibly delaying retirements of coal-fired plants and older, less-efficient gas-fired facilities.
Facilitating permitting for those, along with pipelines, is a top priority for the Trump administration. Both renewable and traditional projects have seen costly permitting and legal delays lasting years. But because permitting also involves state regulators, some of this issue is beyond the scope of FERC.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
Phillips, a Democrat who chaired the commission from February 9, 2024, to January 3 this year, stepped down at the request of the Trump administration, according to news media reports.
Phillips' departure leaves the commission with two Democrats and two Republicans, opening the way for the Trump administration to appoint a replacement and have a Republican-majority panel.
FERC regulates interstate transmission and wholesale sale of electricity and natural gas. It also regulates the interstate prices of crude oil through pipelines, and oversees proposals for new interstate energy projects such as pipelines, natural gas storage and liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals. Non-federal hydropower is also under its jurisdiction.
Designed for bipartisanship, its membership is limited to no more than three members of any single party.
As a moderate Democrat, Phillips often voted with the two Republican commissioners. For example, Phillips in June 2024 voted in favor of permitting Venture Global LNG's (NYSE:VG) (Arlington, Virginia) CP2 LNG export project in Louisiana. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Oil & Gas Production Project and Plant databases can click here for the project report and click here for the plant profile.
Phillips' five-year term on the commission would have ended on June 30, 2026.
The current FERC chairman, Republican Mark Christie, will see his own term end on June 30 this year, but he might be able to stay at least somewhat longer. According to the National Law Review, "Upon expiration of a member's term, an individual commissioner may choose to continue at FERC until Congress goes out of session. This occurs frequently."
Environmental organizations were displeased by the turn of events. Said Evergreen Action Senior Power Sector Policy Lead Charles Harper, "Forcing Phillips out sets a dangerous precedent and politicizes a nonpartisan agency that Americans count on to keep the lights on and the grid stable."
Some in the reneweable energy industry were milder in their reactions. Caitlin Marquis, managing director of Advanced Energy United, said in a statement, "We sincerely thank Commissioner Phillips for his role in reforming critical energy issues during his tenure as Chairman and as a Commissioner at FERC. He has championed policies that empower stakeholders and make America's grid stronger, guiding the Commission to modernize transmission planning, generator interconnection, and electric reliability."
Federal regulators under Biden blocked a number of gas pipelines and other interstate projects, some of which were aimed at delivering U.S.-produced natural gas to homes and businesses in the Northeast. Trump campaigned on reducing regulatory burdens, speeding the permitting of energy projects, and reducing energy costs for consumers.
Trump has already impacted other energy-related agencies. In March, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the "biggest deregulatory action in U.S. history," rolling back a long list of Biden-era regulations on oil and gas, and on coal. A White House statement said, "His (Trump's) approach encourages industry to develop cost-effective solutions like improved emissions technologies rather than imposing unfeasible mandates that risk economic disruption."
There was no word as of Wednesday on a possible FERC replacement.
Significant issues face the agency this year, as an increasingly strained electric grid deals with ways to power the growth of data centers and an energy transition focused on electrification of factories and transportation. FERC also must balance the building of power sources, looking to new facilities for natural gas, wind, solar, nuclear and other energy sources, along with possibly delaying retirements of coal-fired plants and older, less-efficient gas-fired facilities.
Facilitating permitting for those, along with pipelines, is a top priority for the Trump administration. Both renewable and traditional projects have seen costly permitting and legal delays lasting years. But because permitting also involves state regulators, some of this issue is beyond the scope of FERC.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
