Trump aims for full Ferc complement with pair of nominations

US President Donald Trump on Monday disclosed two nominees for seats on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission which authorises the construction of large projects including pipelines and liquefied natural gas export terminals.

Trump has nominated Virginia utility regulator Mark Christie, a member of Trump's Republican party, and energy lawyer Allison Clements, a Democrat, to fill the empty seats. The nomination of a Republican to the panel has traditionally been tied to that of a Democrat to achieve regulatory balance.

The move marks an about-face for Trump, who is facing declining approval ratings ahead of a November general election. Last year, he tapped Republican James Danly for a vacant Ferc post without nominating a Democrat at the same time.

If approved by the Senate, the two new commissioners would result in a full complement at Ferc, which was operating with only three of five seats filled until Danly was confirmed in March. It would also swell the Democratic minority on the panel to two, giving the Republicans a slight edge with three seats.

Commissioner Bernard McNamee, a Republican, intends to leave the commission for health reasons once a replacement is sworn in.

Christie is the current chairman of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, a regulatory agency he has served with for 16 years. He is one of the nation's longest-serving state utility regulators, according to the White House.

Clements, meanwhile, has long been eyed by Democrats in the Senate for a Ferc seat. The former Natural Resources Defense Council corporate counsel is the founder and president of Goodgrid, an energy policy and strategy consulting firm based in Salt Lake City, Utah.