On Tuesday September 17, 2013, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will consider the nomination of Ron Binz to become a FERC Commissioner.  The hearing starts at 9:30 A.M. in SD-366 in the Senate Dirksen Building and a live webcast of the hearing will be available on the committee’s website.

On June 28, 2013, President Obama announced Binz’s nomination to become a FERC Commissioner (see June 28, 2013 edition of the WER).  Also on June 28, 2013, the White House announced that upon his appointment, President Obama will designate Binz to serve as FERC Chairman.  If confirmed, Binz would replace outgoing FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff, who announced his resignation in May.  Binz is currently a public policy consultant in energy and telecommunications and a Senior Policy Advisor at the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University.  Before that, Binz served as the Chairman of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission from 2007-2011.  Binz also served as the President and Policy Director at the Competition Policy Institute and as the Director of the Colorado Office of Consumer Counsel.  Binz holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Saint Louis University and a Master of Arts in Mathematics from the University of Colorado.

A copy of the Committee’s press release is available here.