Descended from the 1920 Federal Power Commission. Its market rules decide how power plants get paid, its certificates decide which pipelines get built, and its orders are among the most appealed in administrative law.
Open the interactive page for FERC →Created byDepartment of Energy Organization Act of 1977, § 401 (P.L. 95-91) — successor to the Federal Power Commission of 1920
Head appointed42 U.S.C. § 7171(b): President appoints 5 members, Senate consent, 5-yr terms, max 3 from one party; Chairman designated by President (PAS)
Removal standardfor cause: members 'may be removed by the President only for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office' (42 U.S.C. § 7171(b))
Funded underEnergy and Water Development appropriations act; appropriation 100% offset by annual charges and filing fees on regulated industries, 42 U.S.C. § 7178
Congressional oversightHouse Energy and Commerce · Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Inspector generalDOE OIG (PAS IG under the IG Act) — FERC is an independent commission housed within DOE and has no separate IG
Judicial reviewExclusive court-of-appeals review after a mandatory rehearing request: Federal Power Act § 313(b), 16 U.S.C. § 825l(b); Natural Gas Act, 15 U.S.C. § 717r(b)
Intervene as a formal party in a pipeline or transmission proceeding; comment in any FERC docket; appeal a FERC order to the federal courts of appeals.
SEC · CFTC · FTC · FCC · FEC · NRC · NLRB · CPSC · full org map