Federal Energy Regulatory Commission - FERC

Ever wondered who regulates the oil, natural gas, electricity, and other energy industries in the United States? Well, wonder no more, because the answer is FERC.

FERC is a bipartisan regulatory federal agency made up of five appointed commissioners (well, they’re appointed by POTUS and then have to be confirmed by the Senate), and their whole deal is that they try to keep American energy industries operating fairly, safely, reliably, and in accordance with the law.

FERC has its hands in everything from the construction of gas pipelines to the overseeing of certain mergers and acquisitions, so it’s no surprise that the findings and actions of this commission can have a big influence on the financial performance of the organizations involved in those ventures. If it turns out that an energy company is doing something shady, for example, FERC can throw some harsh civil penalties at them. If the company is super shady, FERC can pretty much stop it from doing business, whether that’s preventing an unfair merger or stopping unsafe work on an energy project.