Urge your senators to block President Trump's polluter pick, Bernard McNamee, for a key energy position on the FERC

Senate set to vote on critical energy nomination: Don’t let a polluter define our energy future

Urge your senators to stand up for consumers by blocking President Trump's polluter pick, Bernard McNamee, for a key energy position.

Take Action Today!


ACTION ALERT

Help Stop President Trump's Latest Attempt to Stall Clean Energy

Earlier this month we reached out to you about Bernard McNamee, President Trump's nominee for an open seat on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Decisions from FERC have lasting impacts on our wallets, our environment, and our climate.

Unfortunately, despite the fact Bernard McNamee is one of the Department of Energy officials who designed and lobbied for the plan to bail out coal plants, which raises serious questions about conflict interest, the committee decided to advance his nomination to a full Senate vote.

We can still block his nomination and expose his serious conflicts of interests. The Senate will be voting THIS WEEK to advance this nomination—urge your senators to block the nomination of Bernard McNamee as FERC commissioner.

Bernard McNamee's past attempts to prop up the coal industry and help out his polluter friends make him the wrong person for this critical role for consumers. This nomination is another blatant attempt by the Trump administration to fill federal positions with those who will advance their fossil fuel agenda.

It is unacceptable to have a FERC commissioner who may subsidize fossil fuels at the expense of consumers and our climate. Write your senators today and call on them to stand up for consumers and vote against the nomination of Bernard McNamee for this key energy position.

Our clean energy future is at stake.

-Anusha Narayanan, Union of Concerned Scientists

More Information:

One of the Most Important Agencies You've Never Heard of Is Being Taken Over by Trump -  EcoWatch

TAKE ACTION: Tell Senators to vote NO on fossil fuel industry sellout and climate denier Bernard McNamee for Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Trump has nominated climate denier and industry sellout Bernard McNamee to fill the vacant seat on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) – and the Senate is going to be considering this dirty, dangerous nomination in the next few days.

Trump wants to make McNamee, with his radical pro-fossil fuel agenda, one of five commissioners at FERC, the federal regulatory agency that issues permits for gas pipelines and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals. This nomination would tip the balance of the commission in favor of more fossil fuel lock-in – and we can’t let that happen.

In the coming year, FERC will decide on literally dozens of new gas pipelines, most of which are directly linked to LNG export terminals. These projects threaten our climate, the communities in their path, the air we breathe, and the water life depends on. Projects such as Jordan Cove LNG in Oregon, Rio Grande LNG in Texas, and the Alaska LNG Project that includes a massive 800-mile pipeline across the state could be decided by McNamee.

This man must not be allowed anywhere near fossil fuel infrastructure permitting. Amazingly, McNamee’s nomination is actually raising concerns from both sides of the political aisle, so there’s a real chance at stopping it. Right now, FERC has a tenuous 2-2 split amongst Democratic and Republican appointed commissioners, and McNamee would break that tie.

Click to send the following letter.

(Please, consider adding a personal note so they won't disregard it as a form letter.)

Your letter will be delivered to members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee:

I am calling on you to vote no on the nomination of Bernard McNamee to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). McNamee is an unacceptable choice for FERC. McNamee’s attempt to bail out failing coal and nuclear power plants was unanimously rejected by FERC and the vast majority of the utility sector. He has a political agenda that has no place in FERC. It is an agenda of the past that locks us into more pollution and more climate change.

As sitting FERC commissioners have repeatedly stated, it is time to assess the full impact of projects permitted by FERC and complete a review of the pipeline permitting process. To date, that process has ignored climate and impacted communities and has led to a rush to build unnecessary pipelines, the costs of many of which will be borne by ratepayers.

McNamee’s radical pro-fossil fuel agenda will raise costs on ratepayers, exacerbate climate change, and run roughshod over America’s communities. I urge you to reject Bernard McNamee's nomination.

URGENT ACTION on Bernard McNamee's nomination to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

I wanted to update you on an URGENT action UCS is leading the charge on regarding the nomination of Bernard McNamee to be a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). It’s no surprise that this nominee (hand-picked by the Trump administration) has a history of propping up coal and is laughably under-qualified for the position.

FERC is an independent federal regulatory body that is organized as part of the Department of Energy and that oversees much of our modern energy infrastructure. FERC is tasked with ensuring “reliable, efficient and sustainable energy services at a reasonable cost”. To put it simply: FERC’s decisions impact our wallets, our environment, and our climate. We need a commissioner who is NOT an unqualified political operative with a polluter agenda.

This Tuesday, October 16th, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will be holding a hearing to move forward with this rushed nomination process. Your Senator sits on this committee and have the power to ask crucial questions to make public McNamee’s conflicts of interest and his role in the ongoing effort to bailout uneconomic coal plants. Can you as a constituent send them a quick email urging Senator Flake to block this nomination and to ask the imperative questions regarding McNamee’s track record?

Below is a sample email you can customize to send to your senator (including their respective staffer’s email address). We are hoping to get as many constituents to weigh in before October 16th so please feel free to forward to action to friends and colleagues. You can also learn more about the nominee from our recent blog post on the issue.

The nomination of Bernard McNamee to be a member of FERC can severely impact consumers and our electricity market in both the short and long term. I appreciate you taking action and getting your voice heard with your senator!

-Asha Kuziwa, Union of Concerned Scientists

To send use: https://www.senate.gov/

Subj line: Please Block the Nomination of Bernard McNamee for FERC commissioner

(Dear Emily Nelson)

As a constituent, I am deeply troubled by the nomination of Bernard McNamee for FERC commissioner. FERC is an independent agency tasked with ensuring “reliable, efficient and sustainable energy services at a reasonable cost”. I am worried that based on McNamee’s history of propping up uneconomic coal plants and partisan history, he is not up to the task of remaining independent to put consumers over the fossil fuel industry.

FERC’s decisions impact our wallets, our environment, and our climate. We need a commissioner who has a track record of working with utilities and understanding the needs of ratepayers.

During this Tuesday’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee nomination hearing, I urge your boss to block this nomination. I also call on the senator to ask the questions listed below so we can learn more about this nominee’s track record.

Questions:

What was your role in DOE’s first coal bailout proposal that FERC flatly denied in January 2018?

What role are you playing in helping DOE craft its current coal bailout proposal?

Do you think DOE should subsidize uneconomic coal and nuclear plants, which could raise rates on consumers? If so, why?

If confirmed as FERC Commissioner, will you recuse yourself from voting on any matters you had a direct role in while at DOE, including the coal bailout?

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

Here is Sen. Flake's website (if you want to cover your bases.) 

https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-jeff

P: 520-575-8633