Murkowski chairs hearing on President Trump’s three energy nominees

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, recently chaired a hearing for President Donald Trump’s nominees for three key energy positions at two federal agencies.

President Trump nominated Dan Brouillette for Deputy Secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE) and Neil Chatterjee and Robert Powelson to be members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

“I am pleased to have these nominees before our committee this morning,” Murkowski said. “This hearing is an important step in our efforts to restore a quorum at FERC, and to ensure that Secretary Perry has a good team in place at his Department. I believe Mr. Brouillette, Mr. Chatterjee, and Mr. Powelson are all well-qualified, and deserve to move quickly through the process to confirmation.”

Brouillette is senior vice president and head of public policy for USAA, a leading banking and financial services firm. He previously served as assistant secretary for congressional and intergovernmental affairs under former President George W. Bush.

Chatterjee is energy policy advisor to United States Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Powelson is a commissioner on the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission and president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC).

During the hearing, Murkowski asked Chatterjee and Powelson about the proposed Alaska gasline. The nominees committed to review the project in a fair and timely manner. She also pressed Brouillette about the Department’s ability to help address high energy costs in Alaska. Brouillette agreed to work collaboratively on the issue.