President Donald Trump on Monday elevated Mark Christie to chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, replacing Willie Phillips, a Democrat.
In a statement, Christie said he would continue to emphasize his three top priorities, including “the need for FERC to protect consumers from excessive power costs.”
Christie, for example, has repeatedly called for advancing a pending rulemaking that would reduce incentives utilities and other transmission owners have for building power lines. As chairman, Christie could advance that priority.
Also, Christie said he has repeatedly warned that the United States faces a reliability crisis driven by the pace of power plant retirements without adequate replacement generation. “The arithmetic doesn’t work,” Christie said at a May 2023 Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing. “This problem is coming. It’s coming quickly. The red lights are flashing.”
He said he has emphasized the important role of states and their utility regulators in meeting reliability and affordability challenges.
“A close partnership between FERC and the states is absolutely essential to address these problems,” Christie said in the statement. “I look forward to continuing to work with my fellow commissioners, who are wonderful colleagues, and with FERC’s very knowledgeable, professional and dedicated staff.”
FERC has five commissioners, three Democrats and two Republicans. Christie’s term ends June 30 and Phillips’ term expires a year later. Republicans won’t be able to have a majority until Phillips leaves or unless another Democratic commissioner — David Rosner or Judy Chang — leaves their seat early. Lindsay See is FERC’s other Republican commissioner.
Christie joined FERC on Jan. 4, 2021, after having been nominated by President Trump in July 2020. Before joining FERC, Christie was chairman of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, where he served for 17 years.
