Neil Chatterjee

For Indian actor, see Neil Chatterjee (actor).
Neil Chatterjee
Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
In office
October 24, 2018 – November 5, 2020
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byKevin J. McIntyre
Succeeded byJames Danly
In office
August 10, 2017 – December 7, 2017
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byCheryl LaFleur
Succeeded byKevin J. McIntyre
Member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
In office
August 8, 2017 – August 30, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
Joe Biden
Preceded byAnthony T. Clark
Succeeded byWillie L. Phillips
Personal details
Born
Indranil Chatterjee

Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
EducationSt. Lawrence University
University of Cincinnati

Indranil "Neil" Chatterjee[1] (born July 16, 1976) is an American lawyer, political advisor, and government official. A member of the Republican Party, he served on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) from 2017 to 2021.[2] He served as chairman of the commission under President Donald Trump from August 10, 2017 to December 7, 2017, and later from October 24, 2018 to November 5, 2020.[3]

Prior to his appointment to FERC, he served an energy policy advisor to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.[4][5][6] After leaving office, he became an advisor at international law firm Hogan Lovells.[7]

Early life and education

Chatterjee was born on July 16, 1976. His parents, Sunil and Malaya Chatterjee, were medical doctors and cancer researchers. He grew up in Buffalo, New York, attending Nichols School, later living with his family in Lexington, Kentucky.

In 1995, he graduated from Henry Clay High School in Lexington.[8] He later graduated from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. Chatterjee later received his legal education from the University of Cincinnati College of Law.[9]

Early career

Chatterjee began his career working on the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means. He later worked as an aide to Representative Deborah Pryce, then-serving as chairwoman of the House Republican Conference.[9] Chatterjee later worked for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, becoming its principal in government relations.[10]

In 2009, Chatterjee joined Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell as a legislative director in his Senate office. He later became an energy policy advisor.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

Chatterjee was confirmed by the United States Senate as a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on August 3, 2017. On August 10, 2017, President Donald Trump designated Chatterjee as chairman of FERC.[11]

On December 7, 2017, Kevin J. McIntyre succeeded Chatterjee as the chairman of FERC. On October 24, 2018, President Donald Trump again designated Chatterjee as chairman of the commission.[12]

Tenure

As chairman of FERC, Chatterjee was characterized by The Washington Post as an often "outspoken advocate for coal and gas", while also supporting certain clean energy efforts. During his tenure, he was noted by Politico for his use of social media, including "public Twitter battles" with reporters.[13]

Removal as chair

Chatterjee was fired from his position as chairman on November 5, 2020, the day after the 2020 presidential election.[3] CNN reported that his demotion was a result of Chatterjee's statements in support of clean energy proposals.[14]

Chatterjee stated he was "demoted for my independence" on climate policy matters.[15] He remained a commissioner until his term expired in August 2021. In July 2021, he expressed regret for his role advancing a Trump-era initiative that prioritized coal as an energy source to promote grid resilience. He stated he bore "culpability for why the resilience docket moved the way it did", adding "I didn’t handle it well, and it added this element of politics to what is a real issue".[16]

Post-FERC career

Following his FERC service, he was hired in August 2021 as an advisor at Hogan Lovells' energy regulation practice.[7] In 2024, he was chosen to serve on the board of CarbonCapture, an Arizona-based carbon removal startup.[17]

References

  1. ^ Northey, Hannah (July 13, 2018). "'It's messy' when conservative philosophies collide". E&E News. Washington, D.C. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  2. ^ Tamborrino, Kelsey (October 25, 2018) “Chatterjee tapped for top FERC spot,” POLITICO
  3. ^ a b Siegel, Josh (2020-11-06). "Neil Chatterjee replaced as FERC chairman after promoting carbon pricing". Washington Examiner. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  4. ^ Traywick, Catherine (November 3, 2015). "Meet the McConnell adviser determined to stop the Clean Power Plan". Bloomberg Government. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  5. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration Posts". The White House. May 8, 2017. Archived from the original on May 9, 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  6. ^ Heidorn Jr., Rich; Brooks, Michael (May 25, 2017). "Updated: No Fireworks for FERC Nominees at Senate Hearing". RTO Insider. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  7. ^ a b Merken, Sara (2021-08-30). "Hogan Lovells taps former FERC chairman as senior advisor". Reuters. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  8. ^ Bewig, Matt; Wallechinsky, David (2017-08-28). "Chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: Who Is Neil Chatterjee?". AllGov. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  9. ^ a b "President Donald J. Trump Announces Appointment of Neil Chatterjee as Chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission – The White House". The White House. 2017-08-10. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  10. ^ Traywick, Catherine (2017-05-09). "Trump Names Nominees for U.S. Energy Agency Crippled by a Missing Quorum". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  11. ^ "Trump appoints Chatterjee to chair energy commission". CNBC. Reuters. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  12. ^ Tamborrino, Kelsey (October 25, 2018) "Chatterjee tapped for top FERC spot," POLITICO
  13. ^ Bade, Gavin (2019-08-05). "How McConnell's coal guy is helping Trump remake federal energy policy". Politico. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  14. ^ Egan, Matt (2020-11-06). "Trump quietly demotes his top energy regulator as election count drags on | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  15. ^ Grandoni, Dino; Mufson, Steven (2020-11-06). "Trump-picked head of energy panel says he was 'demoted for my independence' on climate change". Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  16. ^ Dillon, Jeremy (2021-07-28). "Chatterjee on coal, nuclear push: 'I didn't handle it well'". E&E News by POLITICO. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  17. ^ Hiar, Corbin; Bright, Zach (2024-03-27). "Former FERC chair joins Amazon-backed carbon removal startup". E&E News by POLITICO. Retrieved 2024-08-07.

Media related to Neil Chatterjee at Wikimedia Commons