Supreme Court ruling boosts presidential control over federal regulators

A Dentons webinar says the Supreme Court’s June 29 decision in Trump v. Slaughter could reshape how federal agencies regulate energy, infrastructure and environmental permitting. The ruling is especially important for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Nuclear Regulatory Commission, where commissioner independence has long been a core feature.

Why it matters: - The Supreme Court’s June 29 decision in Trump v. Slaughter expands presidential power over independent federal agencies. - The ruling could change how energy, gas, nuclear and other regulated industries are overseen. - The decision is especially consequential for agencies such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

What happened: - Dentons held a virtual roundtable on July 14 focused on the ruling’s impact on FERC and related regulation. - The full discussion is available on the Energy Central site. - The webinar is also available on the Dentons YouTube channel. - Clint Vince, chair of Dentons U.S. energy practice, moderated the session. - Panelists included Amy Howe of SCOTUSblog, Simon Steel of Dentons and Sam Olens, a former Republican attorney general of Georgia and now a Dentons partner.

The details: - The decision overruled Humphrey's Executor v. United States, a 1935 precedent that had protected leaders of executive agencies from presidential removal through “for-cause” safeguards. - Federal regulatory agencies have generally operated since 1935 with three commissioners from the party in power and two from the minority. - Commissioners have traditionally served fixed terms and could voice views that differed from the majority. - Under the ruling, the president can remove commissioners from either party if their views conflict with the White House. - FERC, which regulates wholesale electricity and gas transactions, could see especially significant changes in how decisions are made.

Between the lines: - The ruling does more than alter personnel rules; it changes the balance of power inside agencies that often shape multi-billion-dollar energy and infrastructure decisions. - More direct White House control could make regulatory outcomes more politically responsive and less insulated from shifting administrations. - That shift may also affect environmental rules and permitting processes, where agency independence has often slowed or moderated political pressure.

What’s next: - Regulated companies should expect more attention on how agencies like FERC, NRC and similar commissions operate under the new legal framework. - The decision is likely to influence future staffing, internal voting dynamics and the durability of agency policy decisions. - Dentons and other legal advisers are likely to keep briefing clients as the ruling filters through energy and infrastructure regulation.

The bottom line: - Trump v. Slaughter gives the president a much stronger hand over independent regulators, and the energy sector is among the first places to feel the impact.