Republican Kevin McIntyre, 58, the former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, died Jan. 2. Last year, McIntyre, who was nominated by President Trump, led the commission to reject, 5-0, the Trump administration’s request for a bailout for struggling coal and nuclear plants. McIntyre stepped down as chairman late last year when he was diagnosed with brain cancer, but still served on the commission. FERC, which approves natural gas pipelines and LNG terminals and oversees electricity markets, will operate with two Republican and two Democratic members until Trump names a replacement for McIntyre. The split could stall natural gas pipelines as McIntyre ruled in favor of natural gas pipelines in several 3-2 votes. The White House has given no indication of when a replacement will be named. The commission, a quasi-independent federal agency, is not affected by the government shutdown. “Chairman McIntyre led FERC with a steady hand and with an emphasis on preserving open electricity markets and maintaining the independence of the commission,” said John Moore, director of the sustainable FERC project within the Natural Resources Defense Council.