FERC Chair Willie Phillips expressed cautious optimism on Thursday about Sens. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and John Barrasso’s (R-Wyo.) latest attempt to reform the nation’s convoluted process for building and permitting new power lines.
While FERC does not endorse legislation, Phillips told reporters after the agency’s open meeting that he is hopeful the transmission policies within the new permitting package unveiled earlier this week will be “a step in the right direction.”
“I believe that it appears to be balanced — and quite frankly, promising — to speed up what we know are needed infrastructure projects around this country,” he said.
The new FERC: Thursday’s meeting marked the first for Lindsay See and Judy Chang, FERC’s two newest commissioners, who detailed their priorities.
