President Trump named James Danly chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Thursday, replacing fellow Republican commissioner Neil Chatterjee. The White House did not say why Trump removed Chatterjee, a former aide to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) who had chaired the powerful energy commission for several years, though he will remain on the commission until his term ends in June.
But a few weeks earlier, Chatterjee had urged the FERC to increase its work to counter climate change, specifically by encouraging power grid operators to embrace state carbon pricing policies. Alex Flint of the Alliance for Market Solutions told Axios that this embrace of carbon was why he was demoted. "Chatterjee demonstrated tremendous integrity and independence by acknowledging the need to address climate change," he said. "That cost him his chairmanship, but it also set him apart and cemented his standing as one of FERC's great leaders."
The Washington Examiner's Joshua Siegel reported the same thing.
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"Danly's tenure could be short-lived," Axios reports. "If Joe Biden becomes president next January, he would be expected to appoint a Democrat as chairman. Currently the commission has two Republicans, while Richard Glick is the lone Democrat. Two nominees, Republican Mark Christie and Democrat Allison Clements, are pending before the Senate."
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