Energy regulatory commissioner to step down

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) member John Norris announced Thursday that he will resign after four years on the board to work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Norris’ resignation statement was accidentally posted to FERC’s website earlier Thursday for a few minutes before being taken down. Benjamin Williams, one of Norris’ aides, said at the time that the news of his resignation was “premature at best.”

{mosads}“It has been a great honor to serve with all the exceptional professionals and public servants who make up the FERC family and so many dedicated energy stakeholders in the public and private sectors,” Norris said.

Norris said he will serve the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s interests in Rome as the minister-counselor, part of the Foreign Agricultural Service. Before FERC, he had served as as chief of staff to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

His resignation will become effective Aug. 20.

SNL Financial had reported Wednesday that Norris would resign this week. He was appointed to the commission in 2010 by Obama.

SNL said Obama would nominate Colette Honorable, chairwoman of the Arkansas Public Service Commission and president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, to fill Norris’ seat. Honorable declined to comment on the report.

—This story was updated at 5:00 p.m.