The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) said Monday it would comply with an executive order from President Obama, directing it and other independent agencies to gain public input for assessing and streamlining federal regulations.

Monday’s executive order requires the agencies to develop a plan for periodically reviewing existing regulations and to make those plans public within 120 days. It follows a similar order from Jan. 18 directed at executive agencies.

FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff said Monday the agency “welcomes the president’s new executive order for a more formal, public reassessment of our regulations and their effect on the economy.” He added that the agency had also “complied with the spirit” of Obama’s executive order from January.

“The president’s new directive will be a useful addition to our continuing efforts to ensure FERC regulations are effective, timely and up to date,” Wellinghoff said.

NextEra Energy CEO Lew Hay, who also serves on the president’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, said a lot of work needed to be done to improve the climate for businesses to create more jobs.

“As leaders of American businesses, we experience the pressures of regulation every day,” Hay said Monday. “No one disputes the importance of sound regulation, but as a nation we need to get smarter and sharper in the way we apply regulations.”

The White House said the executive orders are designed to protect “public health, welfare, safety and our environment while promoting economic growth, innovation, competitiveness and job creation.”

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