Senate confirms two FERC commissioners, restoring its quorum

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Neil Chatterjee and Robert Powelson as members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, restoring a quorum to the agency. “After six months, we have finally restored a working quorum to FERC,” Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said in a statement. The commission lost its quorum in February when Commissioner Norman Bay stepped down. Chatterjee has been an adviser to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, and Powelson a member of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. Murkowski said she had scheduled a committee hearing for Sept. 7 for two additional nominees President Donald Trump has put forth for FERC - Kevin McIntyre and Richard Glick. (Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; Writing by Washington Newsroom; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)