President Donald Trump has tapped an industry lawyer who advised writers of sections of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 agenda to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Trump on Monday nominated Laura Swett, litigation counsel at the law firm Vinson & Elkins, which represents fossil fuel companies. Swett previously served as an oil pipeline adviser to former FERC Chair Kevin McIntyre and Commissioner Bernard McNamee, who wrote the section of Project 2025 section that focused on FERC, according to E&E News.
The section called for FERC commissioners to avoid prioritizing wind and solar energy and described policies meant to mitigate climate change as having “vague‘ societal benefits.’” It urges FERC to “expand and protect natural gas infrastructure in support of electric generation,” among other pro-fossil-fuel policy positions.
FERC is an independent agency within the Department of Energy that oversees the interstate transmission of electricity and natural gas. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Swett would replace FERC Chair Mark Christie, a 2020 Trump nominee.