This Politico article discusses the energy agency that could thwart Democrats’ climate plans. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have endorsed a call to reshape FERC as a climate regulator, but is it necessary for a Green New Deal?
Democratic presidential candidates’ promises to fight climate change could hinge on whether they can reshape an obscure federal agency that has overseen a surge in oil and gas projects.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, an independent regulator of pipelines and power markets, derives its authority from decades-old laws that largely predate worries about climate change and were focused primarily on ensuring that energy supplies remain cheap and reliable. But that mandate may interfere with some of the more aggressive climate plans Democrats are contemplating, and candidates are facing pressure to overhaul the agency if elected.