Trump appoints fossil fuels director Chris Wright as energy secretary
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has selected Chris Wright, a campaign donor and fossil fuels executive, to serve as energy secretary in his incoming second administration.
Wright, CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, is an outspoken proponent oil and gas developmentincluding fracking, a key pillar of Trump’s quest for American “energy dominance” in the global market.
Wright has been one of the loudest voices in the industry against efforts to combat climate change and could see a boost to fossil fuels, including swift action to end a year-long pause in approving natural gas exports by the Biden administration.
Wright has also criticized what he calls a “top-down” approach to climate by liberal and left-wing groups, saying the climate movement around the world is “collapsed under its own weight.”
Wright’s consideration of leading the government’s energy department drew support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas magnate Harold Hamm.
Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues during Trump’s first term.
Hamm helped organize an event at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in April, where Trump reportedly asked industry leaders and lobbyists donate $1 billion to Trump’s campaignwith expectations that Trump would cut environmental regulations if re-elected.
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The Energy Department is responsible for promoting the energy, environmental, and nuclear security of the United States. The agency is responsible for the maintenance of the country’s nuclear weapons, oversees 17 national research laboratories and approves natural gas exports, as well as environmental cleanup of the country’s nuclear weapons complex. It also promotes scientific and technological research.
Republican Sen. John Barrasso, who is expected to chair the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said Trump promised bold choices for his Cabinet, and Wright’s nomination is delivering results.
“He is an energy innovator who laid the foundation for America’s fracking boom. After four years of America’s latest energy policy, our country is desperate for a secretary (of energy) who understands how important American energy is to our economy and our national security,” Barrasso said of Wright, adding: “Wright will help ensure to ensure that America survives. committed to a comprehensive energy policy that puts American families first.”
Thomas Pyle, chairman of the American Energy Alliance, a conservative group that supports fossil fuels, said Wright would be “an excellent choice” as energy secretary. Pyle led Trump’s Energy Department transition team in 2016.
Liberty is a major service provider in the energy sector, with a focus on technology. Wright, who grew up in Colorado, earned a bachelor’s degree from MIT and graduated in electrical engineering from the University of California-Berkeley and MIT. In 1992, he founded Pinnacle Technologies, which helped launch commercial shale gas production through hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
He later served as chairman of Stroud Energy, an early shale gas producer, before founding Liberty Resources in 2010.
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