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I joined BXE today at an action targeting the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) monthly meeting – the first since Democratic Chair Richard Glick was ousted by Joe Manchin late last year.

It was the first of a two-day action blitz in DC, and today's action was called "stop Manchin's FERC"

• Check out the full reportback and video in the blog.
  or
• Click here to take a quick online action echoing our demands.

There's more in the blog and footnotes, and BXE has a new report that lays this out in more detail. But the short version is that in early 2022, FERC – then lead by Democrat Rich Glick – was seriously looking at some reforms. Specifically, they were (finally) going to start to consider the climate and environmental justice impacts of projects they approve.

Then in March of 2022 Manchin used his position as chair of the Senate Energy Committee to summon all five FERC commissioners to Congress, where he lambasted them for even considering climate change a problem.

FERC's leaders were clearly shook by Manchin's angry tirade, so they withdrew their new climate and environmental justice rules, and they've never denied a fossil fuel permit since.

BXE did the math and found that since that March 2022 hearing, FERC has approved more than 280 million tons of global warming pollution – as much as 76 new coal plants!

Even so, Manchin wasn't happy and so he refused to let Glick continue to serve at FERC — which is why he had to step down as Chair last month, and why Democrats no longer have a majority on the commission.

So that's why we went to FERC today with three demands:

1. Congress needs to pass legislation to replace FERC with a Federal RENEWABLE Energy Commission, FREC.
2. Senator Schumer and President Biden must remove Joe Manchin as chair of the Senate Energy Committee.
3. Staff and employees at FERC must resist Manchin. It is these government workers we are speaking directly to today. Telling them not to approve new permits, or turn a blind eye to climate and environmental justice impacts.

Click here to send a message to FERC, President Biden, and Senator Schumer all at once with the three demands.

Thanks, 

Drew and the 198 black snake killaz crew

PS — Before you go, one other request. This was day one of a two day action in DC, and it's a good example of the kind of digital support for direct action climate campaigns we provide. Can you chip in to fund this kind of organizing and direct action support? We need to raise about $350 more by this weekend to cover our costs.

Sources:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYHdjG7HKRc
2. https://beyondextremeenergy.org/ferc-into-frec-campaign/stop-manchins-ferc/
3. https://www.198methods.org/2022/04/20/stop-fercs-cowardly-betrayal-of-climate-and-environmental-justice/
4. https://beyondextremeenergy.org/ferc-into-frec-campaign/
5. https://www.198methods.org/2022/12/13/its-still-time-to-remove-manchin-from-his-dirty-dealing-chair/
6. https://www.facebook.com/198ClimateMethods/posts/pfbid023reYsUs9jgYFjMsvzc2KeLugQCBS3UiNz9Pxz2cb75R2rMCLzrj9ofkoXLDJVgL1l 

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198 methods is an experiment in melding online and direct action styles of organizing, with an emphasis on developing new projects and partners. You can learn more about us at our website, www.198methods.org