As President Donald Trump embarks on his second term, his administration is rapidly filling important appointments across key agencies. In Washington, “personnel is policy,” and these appointments are poised to influence the regulation and direction of the energy industry.

Below is an overview of several key appointees, organized by agency:

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)

• Paul Roberti, a Rhode Island attorney and former utility regulator, was nominated by President Trump on February 3^rd to lead PHMSA. Roberti served in the last Trump administration as PHMSA’s Chief Counsel. Roberti worked in the Rhode Island attorney general’s office from 1992 until 2009, when he was appointed to a six-year term on the R.I. Public Utilities Commission by then-Gov. Don Carcieri. According to his LinkedIn, in 2022, Roberti returned to Rhode Island government as Chief Economic and Policy Adviser at the R.I. Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, a position he held until last fall. According to his resume, he has held various notable appointments, including to New England Power Pool, the NARUC committee on Gas, the NARUC subcommittee on Pipeline Safety, and the Gas Technology Institute Public Interest Advisory Council.
• Ben Kochman, serving as the Acting Administrator and Deputy Administrator of PHMSA, brings a wealth of experience from both the public and private sectors. Prior to this role, he was the Director of Pipeline Safety Policy at the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA), where he advocated for effective federal safety policies on behalf of the natural gas pipeline and storage industry. During President Trump's first term, Kochman held executive positions within the U.S. Department of Transportation, including Director of Governmental, International, and Public Affairs at PHMSA.

Department of Energy (DOE)

• Chris Wright, confirmed as the Secretary of Energy, was most recently the head of Liberty Energy and has an extensive background in the energy sector. As Secretary of Energy, Wright believes in “unleashing American energy dominance, accelerating innovation and advancing all energy sources that are affordable, reliable and secure for the American people.”
• James Danly, has been appointed as the Deputy Secretary of Energy, and awaits confirmation by the Senate. Danly previously served as a commissioner and chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Danly is currently a partner at the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meaghan & Flom LLP and Affiliates, leading their Energy Regulatory Group.

Department of the Interior (DOI)

• Doug Burgum, the newly appointed Secretary of the Interior, is the former Governor of North Dakota. Burgum will also serve as the chair of the new White House National Energy Council.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• Lee Zeldin, confirmed as the Administrator of the EPA, represented New York’s 1^st Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives from 2015-2023. Zeldin previously served in the New York State Senate. Zeldin served with the Army’s Elite 82nd Airborne Division, having deployed to Iraq in 2006, and continues to serve as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserve.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

• Mark Christie, was named Chairman of FERC on January 20^th. Christie has served at FERC since January 2021. Prior to joining FERC, Christie was Chairman of the Virginia State Corporation Commission (Virginia SCC), on which he served for nearly 17 years.

Contact Christian Rodrick at crodrick@northeastgas.org with questions