Photos: Twitter\Wikimedia Commons
Ted Glick, spokesperson for Beyond Extreme Energy, today accused Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chair James Danly of “Trumpist extremism” in his transparent attempt to use his likely last meeting as chair to try to advance a regressive, pro-fossil fuels agenda through the approval of certificates for a dozen gas pipelines and gas export terminals around the country.
“For at least the last decade FERC has held its monthly commissioner meetings on the third Thursday of each month,” Glick stated, “but not this month. Instead, for reasons that are suspicious to us, Chair Danly has scheduled it for Tuesday the 19th. We believe he is doing so because he knows that President Joe Biden could move on his first day in office, Wednesday, to replace him as Chair.
“So what is on the Tuesday FERC agenda? A major component is a series of decisions on Certificates to allow the following pipelines and LNG export terminals to proceed forward: New Fortress Energy, Sabal Trail Transmission, Rio Grande LNG, Algonquin Gas Transmission, Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline, Iroquois Gas Transmission, Penn East Pipeline, Mountain Valley Pipeline, Golden Pass LNG, Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline, Jordan Cove Energy and Spire STL Pipeline.”
“In addition, as reported in an article by Arianna Skibell in Energy Wire on Friday, ‘the agenda also features a proposal to expand a contested capacity market rule, which opponents say harms renewable resources, to New York state. FERC came under fire in 2019 when it implemented a similar rule, the minimum offer price rule, or MOPR, in PJM interconnection, the nation’s largest grid operator. Broadly, the rule blocks sources of generation that receive government subsidies – like many wind and solar farms – from competing in key electricity markets.’
Glick concluded, “We call upon the four other FERC commissioners to do the right thing and oppose this rushed effort by Chair Danly to do the bidding of twice-impeached President Donald Trump. We also call upon all those who understand the urgent need to shift right now off of fossil fuels and onto a clean, renewable energy path to call Chair Danly’s office all day Monday at (202)-502-8338 demanding that he reschedule this meeting and consult with the other commissioners regarding agenda for that meeting.”
