President Biden Announces His Intent To Nominate D.C. PSC Chairman To FERC Seat

President Joe Biden on Sept. 9 announced his intent to nominate Willie Phillips, Jr. as a Commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Phillips, a Democrat, is currently Chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC) of the District of Columbia.

Phillips’ nomination will require confirmation by the Senate and, if confirmed, Phillips would return FERC to its full complement of five commissioners after the departure of Commissioner Neil Chatterjee on August 30, 2021.  He would also give Democrats a 3-2 majority on the Commission. 

Before joining the D.C. PSC, Phillips served as Assistant General Counsel for the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, a not-for-profit international regulatory authority, in Washington, D.C. He also worked for a Washington, D.C.-based law firm where he advised clients on regulatory compliance and policy matters.

Phillips is an active member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) where he currently serves on the NARUC Board of Directors as Chair of the Select Committee on Regulatory and Industry Diversity.

He has a Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Montevallo. He is also a member of the District of Columbia Bar and Alabama State Bar Association.