In a surprise move, President Donald Trump will tap Democratic Commissioner David Rosner to become FERC chair, multiple news outlets have reported.
Axios first reported the development Aug. 8, citing an unnamed White House official as the source, with the story also being picked up by Bloomberg.
Rosner, a FERC staffer who had been detailed as an aide to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee under the leadership of former Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.V.), was appointed to the commission in 2024 by President Joe Biden to fill the seat left by former Chair Richard Glick — whose renomination was quashed by Manchin.
The Senate approved Rosner’s appointment on a vote of 67-27, with most opposition coming from Republicans. He also lost backing from Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and was opposed by environmental group Friends of the Earth. (See Rosner, See Clear Senate to Fill out FERC.)
“David Rosner was a paid cheerleader for the LNG boom before it was fashionable,” Lukas Ross, climate and energy deputy director at Friends of the Earth, said at the time of Rosner’s nomination. “Letting Joe Manchin control FERC from beyond his political grave should be a nonstarter for every other Democrat in the caucus.”
In addition to supporting fossil fuels, the Trump administration also favors co-location of data center loads with nuclear power plants.
“David Rosner has committed to executing President Trump’s America First energy policy agenda,” Axios quoted the White House official as saying.
The official also told the publication that Rosner has been “instrumental” in working to “accelerate the building of power data centers to win the AI race” and that the choice “emphasized the president’s desire to work with action-oriented people who will deliver positive results for Americans.”
Reports of Rosner’s elevation to the top spot at FERC came the same day Chair Mark Christie stepped down from the commission, after delivering his last dissent. (See FERC Chair Mark Christie Leaves Agency After One Last Dissent.)
In June, President Trump nominated Laura Swett of Vinson & Elkins to replace Christie, a development Christie said he learned about through a media inquiry about his replacement. (See Trump Replacing FERC Chair Christie with Laura Swett.)
While commissioners appointed by Democrats currently control FERC 2-1, Senate confirmation of nominees Swett and David LaCerte would put Republican appointees in the majority, possibly putting the chairmanship back in play. (See LaCerte Nominated to Complete Phillips’ Term at FERC.)
Meantime, power industry stakeholders and watchers are sure to speculate about the motives behind Rosner’s appointment.
Posting on X late Aug. 8, former FERC Chair Neil Chatterjee wrote:
“Theory — the WH is doubling down on data center co-location and is looking to seat a @ferc majority that will support a framework moving forward. Christie was an outstanding Chair. See has been a conservative commissioner… but they both voted against Talen-AWS. My best guess.”
Chatterjee was referring to the commission’s rejection last November of a proposed amendment to Talen Energy’s interconnection service agreement with PJM and utility PPL that would have allowed Amazon Web Services to expand its co-located load at its Susquehanna nuclear plant in Pennsylvania. (See FERC Rejects Expansion of Co-located Data Center at Susquehanna Nuclear Plant.)
Rosner did not participate in that proceeding or in an April commission vote sustaining that rejection. (See FERC Sustains Order Rejecting Expanded Susquehanna Co-located Load Arrangement.)
