LeClairRyan Attorney: ‘Shutting Down FERC’ Is No Option for The U.S..
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission plays a critical—and often underappreciated—role in the economy, Roy M. Palk, Senior Energy Industry Advisor for the national law firm, writes in EnergyCentral opinion piece Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) June 22, 2017 Critics lambaste the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) as a rubberstamp for pipelines, but re-establishing a quorum on the commission is critical for the entire energy sector—alternative sources included, veteran energy industry attorney Roy M. Palk, Senior Energy Industry Advisor for LeClairRyan, asserts in a June 19 column at EnergyCentral.com.
"In fact, FERC’s mandate is quite broad," writes Palk, who is based in the national law firm’s Glen Allen, Va., office.
"It includes, not just the interstate movement of electricity and gas, but also many other issues related to big-picture integration, including grid security and cyber security."
In the column ("Why ‘Shutting Down FERC’ is No Option for Country"), Palk notes that two FERC nominees largely received a positive reception during their Congressional hearings last month.
"Whether their concerns are climate change, water pollution or anything in between, environmental activists continue to protest what they see as FERC’s predisposition to approve pipeline projects," he explains.
"During the hearings by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, four chanting protesters were actually arrested for the disruptions they created."
But Palk believes the protestors’ chants to "Shut FERC Down!"
For the energy sector, Palk notes, those vacancies have been a vexing problem.
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