White House closing in on FERC nominee
As speculation mounts over who might be the next appointee to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Austin Lipari's name has surfaced with high frequency in energy and legal circles.
The White House is increasingly viewing the former FERC adviser and Federalist Society veteran as the preferred candidate to fill a vacancy at the commission and could be days away from announcing a decision, according to four sources. If selected, it is unclear if the White House would tap Lipari to fill the seat left by Biden-era Chair Willie Phillips or current Chair Mark Christie, whose term expires at the end of June.
Christie has not yet been renominated by President Donald Trump.
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Lipari's former boss, former FERC Chair James Danly, was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday as deputy secretary of Energy. If Lipari were to be nominated to the commission and elevated by Trump to FERC chair, it would bring Danly and Lipari together again. They both fall in line with a Trump policy that paints renewable energy as an unreliable source of power, and sees climate change as a secondary issue.
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