James Danly, General Counsel of the Federal Regulatory Commission (FERC), was confirmed 52-40 by U.S. Senate on March 12 as a FERC Commissioner. Mr. Danly, nominated as a Republican, was supported by all Republican Senators and 3 Democrats, including West Virginia’s Joe Manchin. Mr. Danly’s confirmation brings the FERC balance to 3 Republicans and 1 Democrat. The White House has yet to put forth a Democrat nominee for the seat vacated last August by Cheryl LaFleur, whose term expired.
Mr. Danly, who joined FERC as General Counsel in 2017, was formerly an energy lawyer in Washington. A 2019 profile of him in E&E News said:
“Danly’s credo draws on core tenets of the Federalist Society, an influential group of conservatives and libertarians who believe a regulator’s job is to stick to the text of a law and not what it should be, said several attorneys who practice before FERC.”