Above Photo: Ryan McKnight/ Flickr
Today, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) rejected former Dancing with the Stars contestant and current Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would have given a massive bailout to the coal and nuclear industries in the name of so-called grid resilience. In response, Janet Redman, U.S. Policy Director with Oil Change International, released the following statement:
“Secretary Perry likes to use flash and glitz to cover over imperfections in form. Like the wise judges on Dancing with the Stars, FERC saw through the act.
“This was an easy decision to make for FERC. Secretary Perry’s proposal was nothing more than a massive bailout for the coal and nuclear industries. It’s no surprise it was resoundingly rejected by even the industry-friendly commission, just as it’s no surprise that Secretary Perry continues to demonstrate he has no idea what he’s doing overseeing our nation’s energy infrastructure.
“We’ll know FERC is really intent on setting a course for a brighter future when they actually start taking our climate crisis seriously. By ignoring the climate impacts of gas pipelines, export terminals, and other fossil fuel projects, FERC continues to hold us back while doing the industry’s bidding.
“Today’s decision by FERC was the right one, but FERC needs to do a lot more to stand up to the fossil fuel industry and safeguard our climate before they earn our applause.”