FERC chairman defends environmental justice work, says he had no personal contact with incoming administration

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission chairman told reporters that environmental justice has been one of his top three priorities and that the commission has embedded environmental justice considerations into its project review work.

In response to questions about internal guidance and whether colleagues reached consensus, the chairman said guidance has been provided and praised the teams who have worked to make orders "more reliable, more durable, and, I believe, more legally sufficient." He also asserted, without challenge in the transcript, that "no commission in the history of FERC has done more to address the issue of environmental justice and to protect environmental justice communities than this commission."

Reporters also asked about transition planning. Asked whether he had made decisions about his plans if a new chairman is appointed and whether he had had contact with the president-elect or the transition team, the chairman said he was focused on "running through the tape" and completing current work. When pressed, he said he had contact with the landing team but "beyond that, I have had no personal contact with the new administration."

The chairman repeatedly framed reliability as the commission’s primary responsibility, saying "reliability is job number 1 of the commission." The briefing concluded with the chairman offering brief closing remarks and leaving the room.

The transcript records the chairman’s statements and reporters’ questions but contains no independent documentary evidence of his claim about FERC's historical record on environmental justice, and it does not include details on any formal EJ policy text beyond the chairman's statement that internal guidance exists.