News Release: November 8, 2005

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Chairman names veteran FERC staffer Susan Court to head Office of Market Oversight and Investigations

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Joseph T. Kelliher today named Susan J. Court, a 23-year Commission staff veteran, to be the new director of the Office of Market Oversight and Investigations.

"I am pleased that Susan has agreed to take on this new responsibility. The depth and breadth of her experience - particularly in the area of natural gas regulation - make her especially well-suited for this assignment. As we enter the winter heating season with record high natural gas prices, Susan will be at the front lines of the Commission's efforts to make certain market manipulation does not impose any further costs on consumers," Chairman Kelliher said.

OMOI, one of four principal program offices, is charged with assisting the Commission's efforts to protect energy customers through understanding energy markets and market regulation, identifying and fixing market problems, and enforcing compliance with Commission rules and regulations. The Commission's enforcement responsibilities were enhanced by the recently enacted Energy Policy Act of 2005, which solidified the Commission's authority to police against market manipulation and expanded the Commission's authority to impose civil penalties of up to $1 million a day per violation.

"Congress has given the Commission significant new enforcement authority, and it will require additional resources to discharge this duty. Susan has strong management experience, and has strengthened every office she has led here at the Commission. I am confident she will continue that track record at OMOI," Chairman Kelliher said.

Previously, Ms. Court was the Commission's Chief of Staff under former Chairman Pat Wood, III. She also has served as the Commission's Associate General Counsel for Gas and Oil, Associate General Counsel for General and Administrative Law (where she was the Commission's Designated Agency Ethics Officer) and Deputy Solicitor. In addition, she was Senior Legal Advisor to former FERC Commissioner Anthony G. Sousa and served as his executive assistant during his tenure as FERC Chairman.

As Associate General Counsel for Gas and Oil, Ms. Court was at the forefront of the Commission's natural gas open access program, overseeing the implementation of the Commission's original open access rulemaking, Order No. 436, and the drafting and implementation of a series of rules on market affiliates and related orders. She orchestrated the drafting of Order No. 636, and then led the team that defended Order No. 636 in the federal courts.

A native of Kentucky, Ms. Court served as research director for former Governor Louie B. Nunn, and clerked for Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Robert O. Lukowski. She has a B.A. from Thomas More College in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, and a Master's degree from the University of Cincinnati. She earned her law degree at Northern Kentucky University's Salmon P. Chase College of Law, where she assisted former Associate Justice Arthur Goldberg, a visiting professor at the school.

R-05-75

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