Commissioner William Massey, who took over as FERC chairmanFriday, is likely to have the shortest term as FERC chairman onrecord, with the Bush administration looking to replace him withCommissioner Curt Hebert Jr. as acting chairman possibly as earlyas this week, according to a member of the Bush energy transitionteam.

“I would tell him [Massey] not to move any furniture,” said therepresentative of the energy transition team, which met inWashington, D.C. last Wednesday for the first time. Massey, aDemocrat, was tapped by the Clinton White House to succeedChairman James Hoecker on Friday, but the Bush administration plansto replace him with a “Republican right away,” the source said.Hebert is the sole Republican on the Commission.

But this doesn’t mean that Hebert will be the Bush White House’schoice to head up FERC in the longer term. “All I am going to [say]is that I think it’s problematic at this time that he [Hebert] willbe chairman,” the transition team member noted. “I’m not going totell you that I’ll bet my paycheck that he won’t get the job, but Iwill bet something less than my paycheck.”

The musical chairs for FERC chairman began when Hoeckerannounced he would step down after leading the agency for more thanthree years. His last day at the Commission was Jan. 18.

Susan Parker

©Copyright 2001 Intelligence Press, Inc. All rightsreserved. The preceding news report may not be republished orredistributed in whole or in part without prior written consent ofIntelligence Press, Inc.