FERC on Thursday announced it has finished work on establishing its new Office of Public Participation (OPP) and that it will hire a director by Oct. 1, the end of this fiscal year.
“I am pleased to announce that FERC has established an Office of Public Participation, a step that is long overdue,” Chairman Richard Glick said. “I am looking forward to finding a director to lead this office and continuing to engage with the public on these essential issues.”
FERC has been required to establish the office since 1978 under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, but Congress had not allocated it funding until late last year. Its purpose is to not only assist members of the public impacted by the commission’s proceedings, but also gather more public input.
The announcement followed several months of public input, including several listening sessions led by Commissioner Allison Clements, a commissioner-led workshop in April and 115 written comments. (See Panelists Urge Inclusive Approach to FERC’s OPP.) Among the many complaints levied by commenters was that they were often completely unaware of an infrastructure project (usually a natural gas pipeline) being built until developers asserted eminent domain.
“Our process for establishing FERC’s new Office of Public Participation was driven by the desire to hear directly from the audience that the new office will serve: the public,” Clements said. “The form and function of OPP is based on a strong foundation of input, particularly from people and communities who traditionally have not had a voice in commission processes yet stand to benefit from participation. I look forward to seeing how OPP evolves to carry out Congress’ directives.”
In compliance with a congressional directive, FERC outlined the structure and functions of the new office in a 34-page report, released alongside the announcement. In it the commission said it would implement the office in four phases, beginning by detailing current staff for “the first few months” before beginning to hire new, dedicated staff over the course of the next fiscal year under its director.
The office will house an Outreach and Assistance unit, which will be divided into groups for energy infrastructure and energy markets. FERC expects the office to be fully staffed in FY24. Applications for the director position are due by July 15.
“We commend FERC for its action today of getting the Office of Public Participation off the ground,” said Aaron Stemplewicz, senior attorney at Earthjustice. “The office will help correct the existing power imbalances in FERC proceedings. It will provide historically underrepresented communities and individuals with the critical tools and assistance necessary to meaningfully engage in those proceedings.”
“Consumers finally have a seat at the table!” Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky tweeted. “The Office of Public Participation at FERC will give consumers a voice in how FERC regulates electricity rates or approves energy infrastructure.”
