The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s ethics official determined that Chair Laura Swett could participate in a seminal agency proceeding tied to her former employer because of “the Government’s interest in her participation,” according to records obtained by POLITICO’s E&E News.
In December, FERC unanimously approved new rules for the mid-Atlantic PJM Interconnection grid that allow artificial intelligence data centers to draw power directly from co-located plants. The decision was meant to accelerate infrastructure development while ensuring tech companies — not general ratepayers — fund necessary grid upgrades.
Swett’s previous employer was law firm Vinson & Elkins, which has made several filings on the co-location docket representing major energy companies like Talen Energy. Those past ties sparked concerns over potential conflicts of interest, with experts saying federal regulations likely required her to obtain formal ethics waivers to participate in the critical rulemaking and other FERC proceedings linked to Vinson & Elkins.
In allowing Swett’s participation in the order, Charles Beamon, FERC’s ethics official, noted that it “is possibly if not likely the single highest profile and most consequential matter currently pending before the Commission,” citing effects on “electricity markets, the reliability of the electric grid, the U.S. economy, and national security.” Beamon electronically signed the waiver in October, four days after President Donald Trump designated Swett as FERC’s chair.
