Threat of Summer Blackouts Looms Over FERC Chair’s Renomination

More than two decades ago, Rich Glick contended with blackouts in California amid a severe drought, power plant outages, and market manipulation that squeezed electric utilities and became a political headache for him and his Energy Department colleagues.

Years later, Glick blamed other government entities—including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which he said didn’t do enough to keep consumer bills from skyrocketing.

Now that he’s FERC’s chairman, Glick, 59, seeks to avoid a similar situation as he stares down a sweltering, stormy summer and awaits a Senate decision to extend his tenure.

“The lesson to be learned ...