The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee does not plan to proceed with the Republican nominee for FERC, Joseph T. Kelliher, until the White House taps a Democratic appointee, namely former New Mexico regulator Suedeen Kelly, for the agency, said a spokesman for the committee.

The Senate panel, which has jurisdiction over FERC appointments, wants to move forward on the nominations as a “package deal,” said spokesman Bill Wicker. “We think it would make sense to do both nominations at the same time.” Industry sources had speculated that the committee would act on Kelliher and Kelly as a pair, saying the nominations would move through the Senate more easily this way.

Kelliher, a senior adviser at the Department of Energy (DOE), was nominated by President Bush earlier this month to replace current Commissioner Linda Breathitt, whose term expires on June 30. Both Senate Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) are supporting Kelly to fill the Commission seat vacated by former Chairman Curt Hebert Jr. last summer. Daschle sent a letter to the White House on May 24 endorsing Kelly, and urging quick action on her nomination.

“We don’t know when we will see Suedeen Kelly’s nomination from the White House,” Wicker told NGI. In the meantime, he indicated the committee was in no rush to process Kelliher. Even if Kelliher’s confirmation hearing should be delayed past June 30, when Breathitt’s term ends, he noted there is no danger that FERC will be left with only three commissioners. Breathitt would be permitted to continue serving at the Commission until Kelliher is approved by the Senate.

Since he will succeed an existing commissioner, Kelliher, a Republican, would get a full five-year term at the Commission. However, Kelly, a Democrat, would serve the remainder of Hebert’s term, which is about two years.

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