FERC Commissioner Cheryl LaFleur on Thursday announced via Twitter that she would leave the commission at the end of August.
“After nine amazing years, I will be leaving FERC at the end of August,” LaFleur said in her tweet, which came in the afternoon, after the commission’s monthly open meeting. “The July open meeting will be my last, and I have a lot of people to thank. I am looking forward to the future, but no announcements on that at this time.” FERC does not hold open meetings in August.
LaFleur’s current term — her second — ends June 30, but by law she is allowed to serve past that date until the Senate confirms a replacement or the end of the current session of Congress. She first announced her impending departure in late January. (See LaFleur Announces Departure from FERC.)
The commission will be down to three members once she leaves, restoring its Republican majority.
“FERC was designed as a five-member commission, and I urge the administration to move quickly to nominate individuals to fill the two open seats simultaneously in a bipartisan manner,” said Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “I look forward to reviewing the nominees … so we can restore a fully functioning commission.”
“During her nine years of service, Commissioner LaFleur has been a source of wisdom and stability at FERC,” Chair Neil Chatterjee said in a statement. “I will never forget the kindness she offered me when I came to the commission. She and her staff did not hesitate to show me the lay of the land as I stepped into this new role.”
– Michael Brooks
