Obama Nominates Ex-Colorado Regulator to Lead FERC

President Obama recently announced his nomination of Ron Binz to serve as the next Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).  Binz served as the Chairman of the Colorado Public Utility Commission from 2007 to 2011 and has spent the past several years working as principal at Public Policy Consulting, specializing in public utilities issues, and as a Senior Policy Advisor at the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University, which is headed by former Colorado Governor Bill Ritter.  The Washington Post reports that Binz has a track record as a “strong proponent of renewable energy” and deep understanding of the nation’s electricity distribution system.  The U.S. Senate must approve Binz’s appointment to replace the current FERC Chairman, John Wellinghoff, who announced his intent to resign from the position in late May 2013.