Christie in 2021. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Trump tapped Republican commissioners Mark Christie and David Wright to chair FERC and NRC respectively as the new president names key officials in his energy dominance agenda.
Why it matters: Both commissions are central to the intensifying debate over the nation's energy mix as demand grows for power and the new administration seeks to keep nuclear, coal, and gas plants online.
- The new FERC chair will implement major rules on transmission planning and permitting as well as a backlog of renewable energy and batteries awaiting connection to the grid.
- The NRC chair will oversee a years-long effort to lower licensing hurdles for advanced nuclear reactors.
What he's saying: Christie, a former Virginia utility regulator, pledged to protect consumers from high power costs; address a "reliability crisis" driven by the closure of power plants; and include state officials at the table.
Between the lines: Christie is a logical pick as Trump declares a national energy emergency, urging that coal, gas, and nuclear plants remain online.
- Christie was a fierce critic of FERC's transmission planning rule and was influential in persuading FERC in November to give states a greater role in grid planning.
- He will likely face pressure from the Trump administration to promptly approve natural gas infrastructure and to root out Democratic-led efforts on environmental justice, public participation and tribal outreach.
Wright is also a former state utility regulator from South Carolina and has worked on nuclear waste issues.
- He has pushed back on criticisms from Democrats that he said suggested NRC staff decisions and rulemakings "are not safe, or simply reflect the industry viewpoint."
What's next: Both Christie's and Wright's terms expire this year, so they would have to leave without renomination.
