Statement From EPSA President and CEO Todd Snitchler on Nomination of Willie Phillips to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
For Immediate Release: September 9, 2021
Contact: Christina Nyquist | cnyquist@epsa.org
Washington, D.C. – President Biden’s announced nominee to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Willie L. Phillips Jr., should continue the agency’s long-standing support of competitive electricity markets and focus on reliability to advance a more affordable, clean and secure electric grid, said the head of the Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA), which represents competitive power suppliers throughout the U.S. EPSA’s President and CEO Todd Snitchler shared the following statement following President Biden’s statement of intent to nominate Willie Phillips Jr., the current chair of the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia, to FERC’s open seat.
“The challenges and opportunities facing our electric grid and environment can best be met through a strong commitment to robust competition among power providers, which has led to innovation that has reduced carbon emissions and lowered consumer costs.
As the energy system rapidly evolves and new technologies are added to the grid, creating new reliability challenges, keeping the lights on must remain our top priority. All Americans want and depend on a reliable, affordable and cleaner electric grid. We know that competitive wholesale electricity markets are the best way to achieve these goals – and we are confident that with a full slate of commissioners at FERC, all can agree on these shared priorities. We congratulate Chairman Phillips on his nomination and look forward to working with him once he is confirmed.”
EPSA previously outlined priorities for the new FERC commissioner in a joint letter to Senate Energy Leaders Joe Manchin and John Barrasso, co-signed with the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance and the R Street Institute. The letter urged the senators to “ensure that the next nominee to FERC maintain a commitment to competitive wholesale electricity markets in order to ensure America’s electric grid remains reliable, affordable, clean and secure.”
###
The Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA) is the national trade association representing America’s competitive power suppliers. EPSA members provide about 150,000 MW of reliable and competitively priced electricity from environmentally responsible facilities using a diverse mix of fuels and technologies including natural gas, wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal, storage, biomass, and coal. EPSA seeks to bring the benefits of competition to all power customers. Learn more at www.epsa.org and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter @EPSAnews.
