PURPA among Policies New FERC Commissioners Face

By the time you read this, the United States Senate should have confirmed at least two nominees to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)—Robert Powelson and Neil Chatterjee—returning the five-member commission to a quorum level capable of discharging all of its jurisdictional powers. Since the resignation of Norman Bay in February, FERC has been operating at a significantly reduced capacity, with only two commissioners serving—Cheryl LaFleur and Colette Honorable—and Commissioner Honorable having already announced her intent not to pursue a second term with the agency. With its full voting powers restored, FERC can return to an area that has remained quiet for the last several months: policymaking.