Lauren Lantry, lauren.lantry@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In February, Bernard McNamee, Donald Trump’s nominee for for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), attacked clean energy and environmental organizations and called for a "unified campaign" to support fossil fuels as shown in a video obtained by Utility Dive. In the video, McNamee also referred to industry lawsuits with environmental organizations as a "constant battle between liberty and tyranny." McNamee is a long time fossil fuel lawyer and the architect of the Trump administration’s failed coal bailout attempt. During his Senate confirmation hearing last week, McNamee refused to preemptively recuse himself if his bailout plan came before FERC again.
In response, Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign Director Mary Anne Hitt released the following statement:
“Bernard McNamee is once again proving that he is merely a disciple of the fossil fuel industry, not an unbiased regulator who can adequately fulfill the duties required of a FERC commissioner. If his track record as a promoter for fossil fuel interests and his refusal to recuse himself from his coal bailout plan during his Senate testimony weren’t enough, his disparaging and inaccurate comments about clean energy on video have made it clear that he will politicize FERC to be a rubber stamp for Donald Trump and the corporate polluters he serves. Not only is McNamee a clear political plant, but he’s ignorant about the very systems he’d oversee. Rather than keeping up with the technological advancements that have allowed grid operators to integrate very high levels of clean energy with no reliability issues, McNamees comments show he has kept himself in a fossil fuel bubble, still relying on knowledge from the 1980s. Rejecting McNamee’s nomination is the only reasonable choice to preserve FERC’s nonpartisan, technology-neutral role.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.