President Barack Obama's first pick for the next chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Ron Binz, withdrew his name from consideration amid charges that he was anti-coal. While disagreements over carbon and climate change policies appear to be responsible for Binz's failed nomination, it is debatable what role FERC could ultimately play under its current legislative mandates. Binz stated that he withdrew because he could not win the support of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. As an independent commission charged with protecting energy infrastructure and ensuring certain wholesale electric and natural gas transportation rates are just and reasonable, FERC typically remains out of the partisan crosshairs in Washington. But as Politico recently reported, "Conservative and libertarian groups celebrated Binz's withdrawal as a setback for Obama's climate agenda, while his supporters lamented that partisan bickering had defeated a qualified candidate." Speculation on whom Obama will tap next for FERC's top job includes current FERC commissioner Cheryl LaFleur, who spent more than 20 years with National Grid prior to joining FERC, and Arkansas utility commissioner Colette Honorable, who serves on the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and spent time as a state government attorney overseeing Medicaid fraud cases.
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