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Biden Administration International Affairs Personnel Tracker
Richard Glick
Chair of the Federal Energy Reserve Commission
Richard Glick, a political aide and advisor on energy policy since the 1990s, was a commissioner in the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from late 2017 until his appointment as Chair in January 2021. Prior to his role on the Commission, Glick built “decades of experience in the electric utility industry” and was general counsel for Democrats on the Senate energy committee and a policy adviser on electricity and renewable energy.
This position does not require Senate confirmation, as Glick was confirmed by the Senate as a commissioner in November 2017. President Biden named Richard Glick Chairman of the FERC on January 21, 2021 and his term will run through June 2022.
On China
Glick does not appear to have any public opinions on China or U.S.-China relations at this time as his position focuses on domestic affairs.
Notable Speeches, Testimony & Commentary
Richard Glick is a vocal spokesperson in his field but his focus is largely on domestic climate affairs.
Although they are at the state and federal levels, Glick has made clear that the FERC has a new agenda to 1) keep breaking down barriers to new technologies, 2) improve incentives for transmission investment, 3) reform the interconnection process, and 4) reduce the tension between FERC and states with clean energy policies. There is no publicly acknowledged connection yet on how this will impact Sino-American relations and Glick does not appear to have any public opinions on China or U.S.-China relations at this time.
Media Commentary & Public Perceptions
Glick’s ascension to Chair was largely celebrated by the clean energy community as “a critical early step to put a supporter of Biden’s energy and climate push in charge of setting the agenda of the federal agency that holds regulatory authority over interstate electricity transmission and natural gas networks.” As chair of the five-member panel (3 Republicans, 2 Democrats) Glick, a Democrat, balances out the decision-making body. So far, Glick’s work has prioritized recentering the FERC’s focus on environmental justice in line with President Biden’s own climate policies and commenting on cybersecurity in the pipeline industry.
- “Pipeline operators face huge challenge preventing repeat of Colonial hack,” S&P Global, December 7, 2021
Industry observers, including Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Richard Glick, have long criticized the lack of minimum standards for certain cybersecurity protections.
- “Glick named FERC chair, promises ‘significant progress’ on energy transition,” Utility Dive, January 21, 2021
- “NRDC: Richard Glick Offers Fresh Start for FERC,” Natural Resources Defense Council, January 21, 2021
- “ACORE Congratulates New FERC Chairman Richard Glick,” ACORE, January 21, 2021
- “Biden names Democrat Glick to chair energy regulatory panel,” Reuters, January 21, 2021
Page Last Updated: February 2, 2022
*None of the personnel in this tracker are associated with the Institute for China-America Studies. All images used on this page are sourced from the official Biden-Harris transition website buildbackbetter.gov or the public domain.*
