Casten Debuts New Hot FERC Summer Hit to the Tune of “Work” by Rihanna
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) revived his viral Hot FERC Summer campaign and unveiled his latest hit – to the tune of Rihanna’s hit single “Work” – to emphasize the importance of a fully staffed FERC and warn of impending gridlock.
With current FERC Chairman Richard Glick’s term set to expire at the end of the year, Rep. Casten’s speech highlighted the danger of a deadlocked FERC and urged the White House and the Senate to be ready to speedily confirm a 5th FERC Commissioner at the start of the new Congress if Chairman Glick cannot be reconfirmed.
“And now we’re on the verge of freezing again. This time because the Senate has failed to act to reconfirm Chairman Glick. Just at the moment when we need to expedite transmission permitting reform, to ensure cheap, reliable energy and fix power markets,” said Rep. Casten.
“To my colleagues in the Senate, the eyes of the nation, and of this chamber are on you. We will never, no never neglect you. We do not hold your past against you. But you need to get this done done done done done done,” Rep. Casten continued.
You can watch his full speech by clicking here.
In July 2021, Rep. Casten declared the start of "Hot FERC Summer" with speeches inspired by Megan Thee Stallion's Hot Girl Summer and later Fergie's Fergalicious--leading his colleagues in a viral campaign to raise public awareness of FERC's crucial role in transitioning to a clean energy economy and urge President Biden to nominate a climate-focused 5th FERC commissioner with the urgency the Climate Crisis demands. Following Casten's FERCalicious speech in August, President Biden announced his nomination of Willie Phillips, Chairman of the District of Columbia Public Service Commission to FERC—a move that tipped the Commission Democrat for the first time in years. Rep. Casten concluded the inaugural Hot FERC Summer with “FERCin’ 9 to 5”.
A full transcript of Rep. Casten’s speech can be found below.
I rise today in recognition of the… work… we did to pass the Inflation Reduction Act – the single largest investment in climate action in American history.
Thanks to the IRA, not only will we see expanded access to lower energy costs, but we’ll also lower emissions and give our children a better shot at an inhabitable planet.
But if we’re going to build all that clean generation and connect it to all those new loads, from electric vehicles to heat pumps… we’re going to have to enhance our electric grid. And that’s not going to happen without an independent, fully staffed Federal Energy Regulatory Commission – or ‘FERC’ as they say in the streets.
Now you all remember that last year, as we worked on what became the Inflation Reduction Act, the White House hadn’t acted to fill a vacancy and FERC was frozen into inaction. We needed a Hot FERC Summer, and this chamber - along with Megan Thee Stallion, Fergie and Dolly Parton - delivered.
And now we’re on the verge of freezing again. This time because the Senate has failed to act to reconfirm Chairman Glick. Just at the moment when we need to expedite transmission permitting reform, to ensure cheap, reliable energy and fix power markets… FERC is again on the brink of being deadlocked.
And so, with a little help from Rihanna this time, [LIFT SIGN] it is my duty to once again remind the Legislative Branch of our desperate need to FERC, FERC, FERC, FERC, FERC, FERC.
Climate change is urgent. Capital markets are mobilizing in response to the Inflation Reduction Act. There is no time to have us lurking.
To be blunt, Madame Chair, I do nuh like it, and you know I’ve dealt with it the nicest… but this delay is nuh righteous… and now we’re in a crisis.
A deadlocked FERC could eliminate up to 80% of the emissions reductions created by the IRA. We need them working now to ensure that we can rapidly bolster interregional grid connections, shorten interconnection queues, and reform the siting and cost allocation processes that doom so many projects today.
Sing with me, Madame Chair. We gotta FERC, FERC, FERC, FERC, FERC, FERC.
To my colleagues in the Senate, the eyes of the nation, and of this chamber are on you. We will never, no never neglect you. We do not hold your past against you. But you need to get this done done done done done done.
Our utilities, our electricians, our consumers and our planet believed you when you said that failure to ensure comprehensive permitting reform was “not an option”. But now they are asking whether you really believed that. Did you really mean it when you said you’d give them something that they’d never seen? Or are they right now when they cry that this is just a dream of something that you’ve never been?
It is time for the Senate to give our energy markets reasons to believe in all their dreams, their adoration. They don’t have much more patience.
We need them to Con-firm, firm, firm, firm, firm firm.
A person who will work, work, work, work, work, work.
To ensure that we can FERC, FERC, FERC, FERC, FERC, FERC.
Madame Speaker, what else can I say? I’m tryin’, babe.
Thank you and I yield back.
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