The US Senate has confirmed the appointment of two new members to serve on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Laura V. Swett, of Virginia, and David A. LaCerte, of Louisiana, were both confirmed. Swett, who is expected to assume the chair position, has a term that is set to expire on June 30, 2030. LaCrete’s term is much shorter, slated to expire on June 30, 2026.

Reflecting on the news, current FERC chair David Rosner stated: “Congratulations to the newest FERC commissioners on their Senate confirmations. FERC works best with a full complement of five members. I am excited to welcome Laura and David as they join us in the important work the Commission does on behalf of the American people every day to ensure abundant, reliable, safe, and affordable energy for everyone.”

Swett was nominated for the position by President Donald Trump in June. Swett, an experienced legal professional, previously spent five years at FERC, from 2014 to 2019, across a range of senior legal and policy advisory positions. She replaces Mark Christie, who stepped down from his position at the end of June.

David LaCerte is closely associated with the Trump administration, currently serving as the principal White House liaison and senior advisor to the director of the US Office of Personnel Management. LaCerte also served as acting managing director at the US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board during President Trump's first term of office. LaCerte is also known as one of the contributors to Project 2025, a political initiative published in 2023 by the US conservative think tank Heritage Foundation.

Swett and LaCerte will join David Rosner (Democrat), Lindsay See (Republican), and Judy Chang (Democrat) on the commission. Following the confirmations, the regulatory body is now complete.

FERC is usually comprised of up to five commissioners directly appointed by the US President. The commissioners serve five-year staggered terms. The agency acts as the regulatory authority for all interstate transmission, as well as the wholesale electricity and natural gas markets. Following the approvals, Republican commissioners will now have a 3-2 majority in the body.

However, during the bulk of the year, FERC has not had its full complement of commissioners, following the departure of former chair Willie Phillips, who was asked to step down from his role as commissioner in April.

The regulatory body has made several major announcements this year that have had an impact on the data center world. Most recently, in September, FERC urged utilities and regulators to refine load forecasting practices as a means to keep pace with surging energy demand from the data center sector.

In February, the Commission launched a review of colocation agreements between AI-focused data centers and generation sites in PJM as a means to clarify guidelines for nearly 8.5GW of proposed projects that avoid the traditional interconnection process.