FERC watchers took issue with an executive order from the White House that seeks to exert more control over independent regulatory agencies, worrying it will upset the system for approving infrastructure at a time when more investments are needed.

With President-elect Donald Trump promising to "dismantle the deep state," former FERC Chair Neil Chatterjee's social media post offering "insight on who to keep and who to remove" led to worries about the continued independence of the agency.