The coal industry and its allies are angry about President Obama’s energy policies, and they have decided to take it out on his nominee to lead the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which regulates the interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas and oil.

The commission has no regulatory authority over coal. But that doesn’t matter to the industry. It has come out against Ronald Binz, the nominee, because he supported clean fuels when he was a state energy regulator.

As the chairman of the Colorado Public Utility Commission, he helped Colorado lawmakers tighten standards on coal-fired power plants, causing some older plans to shut down and be replaced by natural gas plants. Those new rules are helping to reduce emissions and improve the state’s air quality. One of the coal industry’s chief complaints against Mr. Binz is that he overstepped his authority in his Colorado post; they refuse to acknowledge that a court ruled against that claim.

Mr. Binz’s critics, which include the far right and some Senate Republicans, want to block his appointment because they say he would encourage the construction of transmission lines that will bring power generated by wind farms to urban areas.