Biden nominates Willie Phillips to lead FERC

President Joe Biden named Willie Phillips the acting chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Phillips joined FERC in December 2021 from the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia (DCPSC), where he was chairman.

“It is an honor to be chosen by President Biden to lead FERC at such a pivotal moment,” Phillips said. “The work we do here at FERC is crucial to ensuring consumers have access to reliable, safe, secure, and efficient energy services at reasonable cost. I look forward to continuing to work with my fellow Commissioners and the FERC staff, as well as to prioritize public engagement in pursuit of our important mission.”

Prior to the DCPSC, Phillips was the assistant general counsel for the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) in Washington, D.C. Before joining NERC, he worked for two law firms where he advised clients on energy regulatory compliance and policy matters. Phillips is an experienced regulatory attorney combining nearly 20 years of legal expertise in public and private practice with a background in the areas of public utility regulation, bulk power system reliability, and corporate governance. Phillips has a juris doctor from Howard University School of Law and a bachelor of science from the University of Montevallo.

The Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA) congratulated Phillips on the appointment.

“EPSA congratulates interim FERC Chairman Willie Phillips in his new role. This leadership transition takes place at a time of heightened scrutiny on the performance of America’s power system amid the continued push for lower-emitting energy sources and a rapidly evolving resource mix. While we recognize the need to address climate change, power outages and cost spikes have devastating consequences; reliability cannot be taken for granted in pursuit of aggressive policy aspirations not aligned with operational realities of the power system,” Todd Snitchler, president and CEO of EPSA, said.

Snitchler urged Phillips to renew a commitment to FERC’s core mission of ensuring adequate energy infrastructure, reliable power, and competitive markets.

“As EPSA members deploy clean power solutions nationwide, the reality backed by expert analysis is that access to dispatchable resources like natural gas generation remains essential to keeping the lights on at an affordable cost to consumers for decades to come. This need is only heightened by efforts to decarbonize and electrify America’s economy, paired with the increase of intermittent resources,” he added.

Edison Electric Institute (EEI) President Tom Kuhn also congratulated Phillips, citing his excellent credentials.

“EEI and our member companies congratulate Willie Phillips on his appointment as acting chair of FERC,” Kuhn said. “Acting Chair Phillips has extensive experience with federal and state energy policymaking, which is critically important as FERC continues to work on many issues that have complex national, regional, and local impacts.”

EEI Executive Vice President of the Business Operations Group and Regulatory Affairs Phil Moeller called out his experience with NERC as a plus.

“Acting Chair Phillips’ experience with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation also makes him the right person to lead the commission at a time when we all are evaluating opportunities to enhance energy grid reliability and resilience,” Moeller said. “I look forward to continuing our work together on the many issues impacting EEI’s member companies and the customers and communities that we are so proud to serve.”