The Congressional Record chronicles nearly everything that happens in the House and Senate . It let in watershed moments such as Rep. Barbara Lee ’s talking to as the only ballot against authorize the use of force in Afghanistan and Sen. Edward Dirksen ’s speech that ended up help quash a filibuster against landmark civil right legislation .
Now , it also includes a contract ofHot FERC Summer . Rep. Sean Casten , a 49 - twelvemonth - old member of Congress who is among the chamber ’s most prolific energy insurance expert , has started a crusade to make what is quite possibly the most deadening , arcane federal agency some spicy female child shit by invoking Megan Thee Stallion . Casten kicked off his campaign to pump up the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ( the FERC in interrogative sentence ) on July 20 with a floor speech opening with the stemma “ Madam Speaker , I trust most of my colleagues have listen of ‘ Hot Girl Summer ’ and the panoptic Megan Thee Stallion oeuvre . ” ( The House ’s ordinary eld is 57.6 years old so the betting odds are candidly not good , but I digress . )
Last hebdomad , he shake off his 2nd , uh , track of Hot FERC Summer by invoking FERCalicious , a play on Fergie ’s Fergalicious that only the daddest of dad joker could love . The so cringe it may actually be good campaign has managed to resurrect the profile of FERC in a path a million articles on arcane rulemaking could never do . And the timing could n’t be more significant .
Hot FERC Summer. It’s real.Screenshot: Gizmodo
The commission in question is helm by five regulator who are name by the president to serve up five - twelvemonth damage . The commissioner are identify by political affiliation , and there can never be more than three from one political party . Former President Donald Trump , for model , had tonominate a Democraticcommissioner during his meter in function . There ’s presently an open posterior that Biden could nominate a Democrat for as well , giving the party a 3 - 2 majority on the deputation .
This weigh for many understanding . Despite its mind - numbing name and report , FERC is a central tool for deal climate change . Pipelines , mellow voltage business leader lines that cross state mete , and more fall under its horizon . If your destination , as the Biden governance has stated , is to take anall - of - government approachto climate change anddecarbonize the gridiron by 2035 , FERC is a huge tool to do just that . Raising its visibility is some thot shit , is what I ’m trying to say .
Casten , who was a clean energy enterpriser before being elected in 2018 , has introduced a couple of bill to get FERC to consider the carbon cost of polluting base and speed up permitting . Which is all well in good . But the question on most people ’s minds is : … what is even happening here ?
So I hopped on the phone with Casten this week to get to the bottom of Hot FERC Summer and why you should give a hoot . Our conversation that somehow also include the Iliad , and Casten ’s dream of writing a PhD dissertation linking Biggie and Bruce Springsteen . Casten also brought up WAP ( the weatherization assist programme , get your creative thinker out of the trough , you jackals ) . We did n’t linger on it for too long as I did n’t want to besmirch a sitting member of Congress ’ repute by turn over too profoundly into the more , uh , far-famed WAP . I did ask , though , about his position as a hottie . A lightly edit version of our conversation follows .
Brian Kahn , Earther : It seems like you ’re accept a estimable time with Hot FERC Summer . It ’s great to see penis of Congress enjoying their job .
Rep. Sean Casten : It ’s a spot surreal . I am delighted to be at a detail where large numbers of Americans , include people whose favorite reading outlet is People magazine are now thinking about what the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is and why it ’s so important . If I make out that was that there was this one cyberspace trick to make that happen , I would have done it a farsighted fourth dimension ago .
Earther : Can you talk a little bit about the backstory ? Where did Hot FERC Summer even get along from ? How on Earth did you come up with this ?
Casten : If I infer the Iliad correctly , sometimes the muse just shore on your shoulder and whispers poetical stateliness . But who knows where these thing come from . I ’ve got two adolescent daughters . We ’ve got a lot of 20 somethings on our staff . I am a big fan of hip hop . Generally , these things just sort of came together in unearthly way .
There ’s this eldritch inter-group communication , but about two years ago , I made a jest on Twitter about how much I loved the Weatherization Assistance Program and was delighted that Cardi B was ultimately talking about WAP . [ laughs ] That did n’t go over well .
Earther : I was going to ask about WAP , but I did n’t want to smirch your reputation as a extremity of Congress . mayhap we can circulate back on that , though . But I ’m curious , why focalise on FERC ? We could ’ve had Hot Department of Energy Summer . What is it that ’s so of import about FERC to get folks engaged ?
Casten : If we do not act like climate change is the exclusive most of import problem we need to be solving as a government , then we do not realize the science period , full stop . Nothing that we ’re seeing is discrepant with what we know was scientifically cash in one’s chips to happen 30 years ago . We are two - thirds of the way to 1.5 degrees Celsius ( 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit ) of thawing , which was the level that everybody tell we ’re going to get the real job . We ’re see what those real problems are . That ’s the animating thing that ride this from the back last .
pair with that is that anything we do to meaningfully decoke our energy sphere , which would be essentially decarbonizing the economy , imply we get cheaper vigour every time . FERC is really unambiguously positioned to be the agency that can really drive the decarbonization , certainly of the electric sphere , and perhaps beyond that as industries would ask a lot of tatty electricity are going to line up it much more attractive to be in the U.S. if we make gaudy energy around .
The reason for FERC specifically beyond that is that — and I ’ve had this conversation , I had this conversation with every popular campaigner run for chairperson last class — all of them were saying the climate was a top precedency , and I was saying to them , OK , if Department of Education was your top precedency , I would care who you were pass to name as your secretary of education . If health care was your top anteriority , I ’d care who you were going to [ put ] in as your oral sex of HHS . If climate is your top precedence , there is no single means that controls this . If you do n’t actually have a government activity structure that is form to address climate , where ’s the maximal point of leverage ? That ’s FERC .
Earther : What is FERC not currently doing that it should be doing if it wants to be serious about decarbonization ?
Casten : The first and most important thing we will ask to nominate someone to the 5th seat . None of what FERC can and should do is potential until we get the power to have three two voting with multitude who are conk to prioritise the interests of energy consumer over the interests of energy producer .
That ’s number one . What FERC can do is two Brobdingnagian things . Everybody cognize we have a massive , massive job work up electric transmission lines in this res publica . That ’s a permitting job . That ’s a siting problem . That ’s a control trouble . That ’s a price allocation job . Almost all of those things could be addressed in the FERC context .
The second big thing — and this is in my Energy Price Act — is that when FERC was produce , their authorization include a number of thing , include but not limited to making certain that free energy is low-cost . FERC actually has it within their existing power to make indisputable that as we establish new generation , as we build fresh transmission , we prioritise generation sources that are not run to harm next multiplication . They could do that mighty now , they do n’t need any Congressional activity . They just want a nudge .
Earther : I require to get Megan Thee Stallion back into our discussion . She ’s rapped about going hard for kids , her ma , and her granny . I recollect that receive at some of the things you ’re talking about here , which is this idea of take to keep prices fair for folk music today but also decarburise the grid for next generations . What would it front like for FERC , or really the federal political science , to go hard for all those folks ?
Casten : There ’s no tautness between those things . Absolutely none . Energy Secretary Granholm has said we involve to build fundamentally as much electrical energy coevals in this country as we already have for fully decoke . That ’s a pile of money . But what are we going to build to decarbonize ? We ’re go to build solar , we ’re going to build hint , we ’re going to build geothermal , we ’re going to give byplay an inducement to invest in more efficient appliance and good - insulated homes . All those things have no marginal fuel cost . There is nobody who has a solar panel on the roof who sound out I better look into the price of might today to see if it makes sentiency for me to run my solar board .
I ca n’t emphasise that point strongly enough : We have sat on our pollex and done fundamentally nothing for 30 years based on a all pretended premise that we ca n’t afford to act . The reality is that every prison term we ’ve gone out — and I say this from personal experience , I build 80 clean energy projects — I never ramp up a project because my client cared about the environs . I built those projects because my customers desire cheaper , more reliable energy . Let ’s embrace that and give hoi polloi what they desire . And , oh , by the way , that will also expect out for future generations .
But this is the rub : That will create a massive transport of wealthiness from energy producers to energy consumer . Every single American is an energy consumer , but there are strong vested big businessman groups in this country that represent energy producer .
Earther : Can you tell me a petty moment about that ? You talked on Dave Roberts ’ volt podcast last week about this wealth transfer idea that would also transfer wealth from carmine states that produce fossil fuels to dreary state . What does that wealth conveyance look like and how do we make certain that when we do this changeover , it ’s fair ?
Casten : Anybody who ’s been in the clean push manufacture has deep mark on their back from struggle electric utility . The electric utilities would fight back with every instrument in their puppet kit to protect their investors . We have seen in veridical - time over the last three 10 play out .
To your query about a just transition , we discover what happened when we went from trust on one muscle world power to mechanically skillful power . When the coal industry went from men in mine to longwall mining [ a mechanized bod of excavation ] , they fetch a lot more push with a heap fewer people .
I do n’t desire to name names , but a colleague of mine who is a Republican who represents one of these affected community and is generally a proficient cat , I said to him , you screw , if I came up with a bill where you miss $ 100 and I hit $ 1,000 , I can completely see why you would n’t vote for the bill and say , I ’m delighted to say that we have grown the saving . The way we plow that political problem is by articulate , OK , if we ’re lead to , in my exercise , produce $ 900 of economical note value , let ’s make certain that we equitably apportion that economic value so that my Republican booster can say good news , we ’ve grown the economy by $ 900 and $ 450 of it is adhere with us .
Earther : I know I have to allow you go to your next consultation before long , which I assume is with Billboard or Fader , so get ’s do a quick lightning round of questions . Are you a Megan Thee Stallion Fan ? Would you see yourself a hottie ?
Casten : I ’d wish to believe my whole family considers me one of the hotties .
Earther : I hope so for your sake , too .
Casten : One of my first concerts was Public Enemy . I ’ve always skewed more towards the more socially witting pelvis hop . I love Kendrick Lamar . But , I can go with some of the poppier , sexier stuff as well .
Earther : I ’m a big Kendrick buff . I actually talk about him in a class I teach on climate communicating to show how you could use storytelling to spill the beans about big payoff like Union drug policy and the Reagan war on drug in way that are much more piquant than a textbook .
Casten : I have a Ph.D. dissertation I will someday write . Biggie Smalls “ Gimme the Loot ” is chapter two of Bruce Springsteen ’s “ Meeting Across the River . ” If you listen to “ Gimme the Loot ” and “ bear to Run , ” it ’s the same character . Go listen to the two lyrics .
Earther : Is this your aspiration after Congress ?
Casten : Exactly , a degree in euphony criticism .
Earther : Once you ’ve secure FERC , this seems like a good retreat project . OK , so we ’ve some great Congressional floor chart , including your record album comprehend for Hot FERC Summer and Fercalicious . Is there someone on your staff who come up with these ?
Casten : We have some exceptional staff . They never lay off to get me with the stuff and nonsense they fetch together . Somebody asked what it would take for one to own one of those charts . I assured them that the National Archives is pass to put them in a climate - controlled box next to the Constitution . It ’s for posterity .
Earther : Fair . It ’s where they belong . It ’s awesome that Hot FERC Summer is also part of the Congressional Record . Some of the coverage has been funny as well . The Independent ’s newspaper headline was “ Congressman Attempts to Make Climate Action Relevant . ” This is an informative thing that you ’re doing , but also takes some degree of just being willing to put yourself out there . How do you experience about have your legacy including Hot FERC Summer ?
Casten : If at the last of this people care about FERC and FERC gets full staffed and they do this stuff and the price that I pay is a slight bit of minor overplus ? I ’ll take that every Clarence Day of the week . It ’s not a knockout choice .
Earther : OK , last question . Megan asked “ eco - friendly hotties ” in 2019 to come up with ideas for how to protect the mood . She share a inclination of theme , which was cool . I ask you as somebody that is doing their part as an eco - friendly hottie pumping up FERC , what can other eco - well-disposed hotties do to agitate for beneficial things to happen at FERC ?
Casten : I ’m run short to be honest : A passel of my colleagues , even on my side of the aisle , have not worked as firmly on this issue as they should . spring chicken activism , construct people realize that this is something that voters and people care about — and not just that you have to do the right affair , but you easily do something that ’s smart . That ’s really good . Keep up that pressure sensation up .
What we do as individuals makes us feel expert , but what matter is what we do conjointly . The most important thing people can do is to cipher out how you take whatever societal capital you have and leverage it . I ’m a extremity of Congress . I can leverage that by getting multitude to wish about these matter and surpass bills .
Take out your recycling ; bend out the lights when you go away the elbow room ; if you’re able to afford to grease one’s palms an electric car or solar panels , do that . But that ai n’t enough . Right . Figure out how to leverage the groups you ’re in because it ’s going to take all of us pull in the same direction .
Earther : Eco - favorable hotties ring together . That ’s parole to live by .
BidenDonald TrumpGovernment
Daily Newsletter
Get the best technical school , science , and culture tidings in your inbox day by day .
News from the future , render to your present tense .
You May Also Like
