THREAD: Watching @EnergyGOP @EnergyDems confirmation hearing (via Facebook for now) for @FERC nominees Allison Clements and Mark Christie. Some background here: https://www.law360.com/articles/1295807">https://www.law360.com/articles/...
@lisamurkowski questions nominees about how they would uphold @FERC& #39;s "role as an independent economic regulator, not as agency as responsible for implementing the administration& #39;s policy decisions."
@FERC nominee Mark Christie says "reliability in America is largely at the state level because it& #39;s the states that approve generation plants."
@Sen_JoeManchin quizzes nominees on @FERC& #39;s #pipeline permitting authority, laments cancellation of projects like Atlantic Coast pipeline.
@FERC nominee Allison Clements: "I would go into each case with an open mind." Nominee Mark Christie says a project& #39;s need must be justified, brings up landowners and eminent domain.
@SenBillCassidy asks about upcoming @FERC tech conference on carbon pricing in wholesale markets.
@FERC nominee Mark Christie: "The question of whether FERC has the legal authority to order a carbon price or carbon tax in RTOs is a legal question that I certainly haven& #39;t come to a conclusion on."
@FERC nominee Allison Clements on choosing energy sources: "The question the commission has to ask is does the grid have the right service to provide reliability along with the electrons that flow along transmission lines?"
@RonWyden quizzes @FERC nominee Allison Clements about #climatechange: "In your view, how can @FERC best utilize climate science when deciding whether #pipelines and natural gas plants are in the public interest?"
Clements said @FERC is "not a direct climate regulator" but that it must take climate and future weather patterns into account when ensuring electricity supply meets demand and the grid remains reliable.