Chairman Wellinghoff Announces Departure: FERCs Meeting Agenda Included Regulations Amendment Addressing Auxiliary Installations, Certificates for Projects by Columbia Gas and Transco, and Rules Affecting A Couple of Offshore Pipelines

摘要

Jon Wellinghoff will leave his post as Chairman of FERC this weekend, he announced Thursday at the Commissions monthly meeting. He also disclosed that the White House would name Commissioner Cheryl LaFleur as acting chair. Colorado regulator Ron Binz was originally picked by President Obama to fill the vacant seat but opposition from numerous members of Congress foiled that choice to replace Wellinghoff. FERC will be left with an unfilled seat into next year. Wellinghoff served seven years on the Commission, apparently a term longer than any predecessor. His term officially expired June 30, but he had been serving under the normal grace period that expires with the end of the current session of Congress. The law firm Stoel Rives revealed in October that Wellinghoff was joining that firm as a partner.