As stresses mount on the nation’s high-voltage grid, how big a hand President-elect Donald Trump could have over leadership at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission remains a mystery.
A pivotal question centers on FERC Chair Willie Phillips. Will he remain on the commission or leave, if, as expected, Trump elevates a Republican on the commission to the top spot.
“I’ve made no decision with regard to what I do next,” Phillips told reporters at the end of the commission’s December meeting Thursday.
Appointed by President Joe Biden, Phillips can be replaced in his role as chair as soon as Trump is sworn into office. Phillips can remain a commissioner until his term expires in June 2026, leaving Biden-appointed Democrats with a 3-2 voting majority over their Republican colleagues until then.
