President Donald Trump to nominate an Indian-American to an important government agency, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Indranil Chatterjee (Neil) of Kentucky, an advisor on energy policy to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, is Trump’s choice to be included on the FERC, the White House had said. Chatterjee, if nominated by the Senate, will have a four-year term ending June 2021.
Former New York-Based Indian Journalist Sent to Jail
“Over the years he has played an integral role in the passage of major energy, highway and farm legislation,” the White House had said about Chatterjee. As McConnell’s advisor, Chatterjee had served as the Leader’s liaison to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, the Committee on Environment and Public Works and the Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Nutrition.
“Over the years he has played an integral role in the passage of major highway and farm policy and he’s been a leader in the energy policy space shepherding efforts to combat cumbersome regulation and most recently working to lift the decades old ban on US crude oil exports,” says a biography on Concordia.net.
Chatterjee has worked as a Principal in Government Relations for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and as an aide to the House Republican Conference Chairwoman Deborah Pryce of Ohio.
He has began his career in Washington, D.C. as a Capitol Hill staffer with the House Committee on Ways and Means. A Lexington, Kentucky native, Chatterjee is a graduate from St. Lawrence University and the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
Chatterjee’s nomination began shortly after the Nov. 8 election when Energy & Environment News predicted that he would end up becoming FERC chair in 2017. The Nov. 10 report had said that McConnell had picked Chatterjee for the five-member commission.
The White House had said that Trump intended to nominate Robert F. Powelson of Pennsylvania, to fill the remaining seat on the FERC. Trump may also replace one Democrat to have a Republican majority commission.
Turbaned Sikhs Can Play International Basketball
Because of that building infrastructure is a big part of Trump’s campaign promises, Chatterjee may end up heading the FERC.
“The FERC chairman is key to setting the agency’s policy tone, and some analysts say FERC is likely to bend further toward industry in a Trump administration,” EEnews speculated.
Chatterjee has been named as one of the 25 Most Influential people on Capitol Hill by Congressional Quarterly magazine and as a top energy staffer to watch by National Journal and Energy and Environment Daily.
By Premji
