President Barack Obama’s choice to lead the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) dropped out after opposition from Republicans and a key Democrat concerned that Mr. Binz would support renewable energy at the expense of coal.
The move had been expected for several days after the White House started to consider alternative candidates last week. This morning, Ron Binz, a former chairman of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, issued his own press release.
“It appears that my nomination will not be reported favorably by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee,” said Br, Binz. “I am withdrawing so that the President can move forward with another nominee, allowing the FERC to continue its important work with a full complement of commissioners.”
While the White House hasn’t named a replacement, according to Bloomberg, possible candidates to head the FERC include Colette D. Honorable, chairman of the Arkansas Public Service Commission, and FERC commissioner Cheryl A. LaFleur, former executive vice president and acting CEO of National Grid USA.