On November 16, the Senate unanimously confirmed Willie Phillips, chairman of the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia, as a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, bringing that body to its full, five-member complement. He had been nominated by President Biden in September to fill FERC's vacant seat and will serve a term that expires on June 30, 2026. Once sworn in, Phillips, a Democrat, will give his party a 3-2 commission majority for the first time since 2017. He is also likely to become the deciding vote on some key policy decisions that FERC will need to contend with, including whether PJM Interconnection's modified minimum offer price rule benefiting nuclear and renewable generators, which went into effect in late September, will remain in place. Democratic commissioners Richard Glick (FERC chairman) and Allison Clements have endorsed PJM's revision, while the panel's Republicans, Mark Christie and James Danly, have expressed opposition.
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