FERC Chairman Norman Bay announced the departure of his chief of staff, Larry Gasteiger, last week at the commission’s open meeting.

Gasteiger, whose last day was Friday, will take the role of Public Service Enterprise Group’s chief of federal regulatory policy. He worked at FERC for 19 years, including as Bay’s deputy director at the Office of Enforcement.

“I am personally grateful to Larry for the help he has given me over the years,” Bay said. He called Gasteiger “clearly one of the most important picks I had to make when I came in as the director of [Enforcement], when I was new to FERC and I was in great need of having a Sherpa.” Bay named Jamie Simler, current director of the Office of Energy Market Regulation, as Gasteiger’s replacement.

More: PSEG

Cintron Named as FERC’s Chief Administrative Law Judge

Judge Carmen A. Cintron has been named as FERC’s chief administrative law judge, following her service as acting chief judge since December 2015.

Cintron joined the commission as an ALJ in 1999 and was selected in September 2015 to serve as deputy chief judge.

Prior to joining FERC, she was the hearing office chief of the Atlanta North Office of Hearings and Appeals for the Social Security Administration.

More: FERC

Energy Department Plans to Build Experimental Carbon Dioxide Plant

The Department of Energy is providing $80 million to build an experimental 10-MW power plant in San Antonio that will use carbon dioxide instead of steam to generate power.

Gas Technology Institute will lead the pilot project with Southwest Research Institute serving as an equal partner. General Electric’s Global Research team will also be involved.

More: San Antonio Express-News

Court: EPA not Properly Estimating Job Losses

EPA has not properly estimated job losses in the coal industry resulting from the Clean Air Act, a federal judge ruled last week.

The District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia ruled in favor of coal mining company Murray Energy, finding EPA has a “nondiscretionary duty” to track potential job losses and employment shifts from regulations written under the act.

“With specific statutory provisions like Section 321(a), Congress unmistakably intended to track and monitor the effects of the Clean Air Act and its implementing regulations on employment in order to improve the legislative and regulatory processes,” the opinion said.

More: The Hill

Plaintiffs to Refile Lawsuit Blaming Fracking Industry for Earthquakes

Lawyers for two Oklahoma women will refile in state court a class action lawsuit that blames the fracking industry for the state’s recent spate of earthquakes.

The plaintiffs previously filed the suit in state court, but Devon Energy removed it to federal court under the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005, prompting them to agree to a voluntary dismissal.

The plaintiffs are required by law to wait one year to refile.

More: Forbes

House Committee Investigating WAPA Security Breaches

A House of Representatives committee has asked the Western Area Power Administration to turn over documents by Nov. 1 relating to security breaches at the Liberty substation in Arizona.

The document request is part of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s investigation spurred by a July 14 Wall Street Journal article describing physical intrusions at the substation, including one in which its control room was ransacked.

There have been no arrests, and security cameras mostly weren’t working.

More: The Wall Street Journal

Interior Secretary Supports Klamath River Dam Removal

Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell sent a letter last week to FERC urging it to approve applications by PacifiCorp and Klamath River Renewal Corp. to remove four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River.

PacifiCorp owns the dams, and Klamath River Renewal — a consortium of federal, state, tribal and local officials — wants to take ownership for the purpose of demolition.

In a measure that’s considered mostly symbolic, county voters will have the opportunity to vote on Nov. 8 as to whether the dams should be removed.

More: Herald and News

FERC OKs $154M Budget for NERC, REs

FERC last week approved a $154.8 million 2017 budget for NERC, its eight Regional Entities and the Western Interconnection Regional Advisory Body (WIRAB) (RR16-6).

The spending plan includes $54.3 million for NERC, $99.7 million for the Regional Entities and almost $760,000 for WIRAB, which was created by Western governors to advise FERC, NERC and the West’s RE, the Western Electricity Coordinating Council.

NERC’s budget will increase 3.6% over 2016, while its workforce drops to about 190 full-time equivalents.

More: RR16-6