Senate confirms new energy regulators, extending Biden’s grip on panel that backs renewable energy

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s grip on a key federal energy commission will last beyond his first term, giving a boost to the Democrat’s push for renewable energy regardless of the election results in November.

The Senate moved to ensure that political reality as lawmakers approved two new members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and set up a vote on a third new panelist as soon as Thursday.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said confirmation of the three nominees would allow FERC to “keep its quorum and continue its mission of providing Americans with affordable, reliable, safe energy.’'

The five-member commission oversees natural gas pipelines and other energy infrastructure, including transmission of electricity across state lines. The panel approved a long-awaited rule last month making it easier to transmit renewable energy such as wind and solar power to the electric grid — a key part of Biden’s goal to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions economy-wide by 2050. The rule is aimed at boosting the nation’s aging power grid to meet surging demand fueled by huge data centers, electrification of vehicles and buildings, artificial intelligence and other uses.

Earlier this week, the agency approved a request by the nearly $8 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline to begin sending natural gas across rugged mountainsides in West Virginia and Virginia, despite longstanding objections from environmental groups, landowners and some elected officials.

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