President Bush signaled his intent Thursday to renominate FERC Commissioner Suedeen G. Kelly to a full five-year term on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Kelly, who joined the Commission last November, currently is serving out the remainder of the term of former FERC Chairman Curt Hebert Jr., which is set to expire on June 30. The White House is seeking to renominate her for a term that would expire on June 30, 2009.

A Democrat, Kelly will have to endure another confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and a confirmation vote by the full Senate.

A committee spokesman declined to call the process a formality for Kelly, but he said “it should be a lot easier for her the second time around; they’ve already vetted [her].”

Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, the ranking Democrat on the Senate energy panel, called Bush’s decision to renominate Kelly “a wise choice.” He pressured the White House last year to name Kelly, a former New Mexico energy regulator and attorney, to FERC to represent western energy interests.

Kelly is the sole Democrat on the current four-member Commission. Chairman Pat Wood, Commissioner Nora Brownell and Commissioner Joseph Kelliher are Republicans.

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