FERC Swears in Commissioner James Danly
On April 1st the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) finalized last month’s Senate confirmation of James Danly to join the agency as the fourth Commissioner, rounding out the regulator’s most senior position.
Danly, an Army veteran and Vanderbilt Law School alum who most recently served as General Counsel to FERC for two years, has a Commissioner term that expires in June 2023. Danly joins Chairman Chatterjee and Commissioner McNamee as Republicans on the Commission.
GAIN spokesman Craig Stevens was quick to acknowledge and praise Danly’s experience, particularly as General Counsel, lending itself well to the Commissioner position. GAIN hopes that Commissioner Danly can help bring clarity to litigious challenges and trends in the energy space. This would be of great value to industry members and help abate costly courtroom sessions to projects like the Dakota Access or Keystone XL pipeline; the former has been safely operating for nearly three years yet still finds itself fighting duplicative legal battles.
Despite ongoing challenges in the domestic energy sector and international marketplace, it is encouraging to see regulators continue to march forward by best preparing for industry success. Danly’s confirmation and commencement should signal confidence to energy developers contemplating infrastructure projects that FERC is ready to work.
