Dive Brief:

• The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee yesterday advanced several of President Trump's nominees, including Kevin McIntyre and Richard Glick to serve on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
• Their nominations were advanced on a voice vote and will now head to the full Senate for confirmation.
• McIntyre and Glick would fill the final two seats of the five-member commission, following a protracted period where FERC did not have the required three regulators to yield a quorum.

Dive Insight:

No date has been set for the full Senate to consider their nominations, but McIntyre and Glick would bring FERC up to full-strength just as the commission begins to tackle issues of price formation and regional policy implications on wholesale markets.

Trump nominated McIntyre, a Republican who leads the energy practice at Jones Day, as in mid-July. Glick’s nomination was announced in June; he is a Democrat and serves as the Democratic General Counsel for the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resource.

Once confirmed, McIntyre is expected to be tapped by President Trump to serve as FERC chairman. Commissioner Neil Chatterjee, confirmed last month, is currently serving in the role until McIntyre comes aboard. Robert Powelson was also confirmed last month, with he and Chatterjee joining Cheryl LaFleur on the commission.

LaFleur, a Democrat, led the commission for nearly six months when it was short-handed and unable to issue major orders. No more than three FERC commissioners can be from one political party.

McIntyre and Glick are expected to be confirmed by comfortable margins in the full Senate. Their confirmation hearing largely focused on the impacts of the Department of Energy's grid study, with both nominees saying they would explore altering compensation for baseload generators if FERC determines reliability is threatened.