Recently, Senator Joe Manchin, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, expressed his concern over Rich Glick’s environmental initiatives, as well as some of the Biden administration’s green commitments, and withheld a confirmation hearing for Rich Glick.  Without his confirmation the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) had no chairman.

In response, the White House announced Willie L. Phillips as acting chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Manchin praised Phillips, who has served as a FERC commissioner since December 2021, as a “supremely qualified and reasonable person” and someone who “understands the need to balance affordability and reliability” in energy markets.

The White House said Phillips would chair the FERC until a permanent chairperson can be identified and confirmed by the Senate.