Agency's key figure, Christie, departs, resulting in FERC being shorthanded with only three members.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has a new interim chairman, David Rosner, following the departure of Mark Christie. Rosner, a Democrat who joined FERC in June 2024, officially assumed the chairmanship on August 13, 2025 [1][3].
Rosner's appointment as interim chairman is primarily due to the temporary leadership vacancy left by Mark Christie's departure on August 8, 2025. With only three commissioners remaining on the five-member commission, Rosner's extensive experience in the energy sector made him an ideal choice [1][5].
Rosner has a strong background in the energy industry, having worked as an energy industry analyst for FERC, leading efforts on critical issues such as electric transmission rulemakings, energy storage, offshore wind integration, and natural gas-electric coordination [1]. His bipartisan reputation and the strong support he received from Republicans during his Senate confirmation process further solidified his position as a consensus and stabilizing choice during the interim period [1][5].
The White House's decision to appoint Rosner as interim chairman is seen as a temporary, caretaker arrangement while awaiting Senate confirmation of two Republican nominees, Laura Swett and David LaCerte. Once confirmed, these nominees are expected to shift the commission to a 3-2 Republican majority [1][3][5].
The remaining FERC commissioners, Lindsay See (Republican) and Judy Chang (Democrat), may have conflicts from their previous work that could prevent them from participating in certain cases [2]. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the full Senate must clear the nominations of Laura Swett and David LaCerte before they can take their seats [4].
In the meantime, FERC continues to operate with a quorum needed to issue orders, but may face issues if the two empty seats are not filled [6]. The commission is currently considering colocation policy options for the PJM Interconnection, and recently voted on an amended interconnection service agreement related to a co-located Amazon data center at the Susquehanna nuclear power plant, with commissioners Lindsay See and Mark Christie voting against the amendment in November [7].
As the interim chairman, Rosner will carry out the chairman's responsibilities while awaiting a more permanent Republican chair appointment. His broad understanding of energy challenges and bipartisanship make him well suited for this role [1].
Sources:
[1] https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/trump-administration-taps-ferc-commissioner-rosner-interim-chair-2025-08-08/ [2] https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/13/ferc-chair-resigns-313908 [3] https://www.wsj.com/articles/ferc-chair-resigns-trump-administration-names-interim-chair-11628851484 [4] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/10/us/politics/ferc-nominations-trump.html [5] https://www.axios.com/trump-administration-names-david-rosner-as-interim-ferc-chair-648283 [6] https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/13/ferc-quorum-313909 [7] https://www.ferc.gov/legal/staff-reports/2025/august/e20250813-654.pdf
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