Twenty national trade associations, half of which are directly involved in oil and gas, called on US Senate leaders to schedule votes soon on the nominations of Neil Chatterjee and Robert Powelson to be Federal Energy Regulatory Commission members. The associations’ request came 2 weeks after the Energy and Natural Resources Committee forwarded the nominations to the full Senate for final approval (OGJ Online, June 6, 2017).
“FERC has lacked a quorum for more than 4 months, placing energy infrastructure permitting and approvals on an indefinite hold and creating an unexpected barrier to improving the permitting process for infrastructure projects,” the groups said in their June 20 letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Ranking Minority Member Charles E. Schumer (D-NY). “We ask you to schedule votes to confirm new FERC commissioners to fill the existing vacancies as soon as possible.”
Oil and gas association signatories included the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, American Gas Association, American Petroleum Institute, American Pipeline Contractors Association, Association of Oil Pipe Lines, Consumer Energy Alliance, GPA Midstream Association, Independent Petroleum Association of America, Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, and Natural Gas Supply Association.
Others included the US Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, Laborers’ International Union of North America, Energy Equipment and Infrastructure Alliance, American Chemistry Council, and Industrial Energy Consumers of America.
Contact Nick Snow at [email protected].
