Cynthia

FERC Chairman Joseph T. Kelliher has named John S. Moot to be the Commission’s General Counsel, effective Sept. 12. Moot will succeed Cynthia Marlette who has been appointed to a new position in which she will oversee the agency’s implementation of requirements under the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Moot comes to FERC from the Washington, DC law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where he has practiced since 1992 and been a partner for six years. Prior to that, he was an associate attorney at the law firm of Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson & Hand. Moot has represented publicly owned utilities, rural electric cooperatives, investor-owned utilities, wholesale power companies, state regulatory commissions and merchant generators. He received his law degree from American University Washington College of Law in 1988, and his bachelor of arts degree from St. Lawrence University in 1983.

FERC Chairman Pat Wood III this week named Cynthia A. Marlette acting general counsel at the Commission, effective immediately, and also announced the appointment of Kevin F. Cadden to head the federal agency’s office of external affairs.

Minerals Management Service Director Cynthia Quartermanestimated the federal government would lose $500 million/year if aroyalty-in-kind programs were instituted for oil and gas producers.The projected revenue loss plus her claim that MMS already has thelegal authority to collect royalties in kind were reasons cited forthe agencies opposition to legislation recently proposed by Rep.Mac Thornberry (R-TX) that would replace the current gross proceedsroyalty collection program with RIK.