PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) 鈥� President-elect has selected Chris Wright, a campaign donor and fossil fuel executive, to serve as energy secretary in his upcoming, second administration.
CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Wright is a vocal advocate of , including fracking, a key pillar of Trump鈥檚 quest to achieve U.S. 鈥渆nergy dominance鈥� in the global market.
Wright has been one of the industry鈥檚 loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change, and could give fossil fuels a boost, including quick action to end by the Biden administration.
Frequently criticizing what he calls a 鈥渢op-down鈥� approach to climate by liberal and left-wing groups, Wright has argued that the climate movement around the world is 鈥渃ollapsing under its own weight.鈥� He has never served in government, but has written that more fossil fuel production is needed around the globe to lift people out of poverty.
Consideration of Wright to head the administration's energy department won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon 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 in Trump鈥檚 first term. Hamm helped organize an event at Trump鈥檚 Mar-a-Lago resort in April where Trump reportedly asked industry leaders and lobbyists to , with the expectation that Trump would curtail environmental regulations if reelected.
Mike Sommers, president of the American Petroleum Institute, the oil and gas industry's top lobbying group, said Wright鈥檚 experience in the energy sector 鈥済ives him an important perspective that will inform his leadership" of the Energy Department.
鈥淲e look forward to working with him once confirmed to bolster American geopolitical strength by lifting DOE鈥檚 pause on LNG export permits and ensuring the open access of American energy for our allies around the world," Sommers said.
Jackie Wong, senior vice president for climate and energy at the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group, called Wright 鈥渁 champion of dirty fossil fuels" and said his nomination to lead the Energy Department was 鈥渁 disastrous mistake.鈥�
鈥淭he Energy Department should be doing all it can to develop and expand the energy sources of the 21st century, not trying to promote the dirty fuels of the last century," Wong said. 鈥淕iven the devastating impacts of climate-fueled disasters, DOE鈥檚 core mission of researching and promoting cleaner energy solutions is more important now than ever."
The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. The agency is in charge of maintaining the country鈥檚 nuclear weapons, oversees 17 national research laboratories and approves natural gas exports, as well as ensuring environmental cleanup of the nation鈥檚 nuclear weapons complex. It also promotes scientific and technological research.
Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, who is expected to become chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said Trump promised bold choices for his Cabinet, and Wright鈥檚 nomination delivers.
鈥淗e鈥檚 s an energy innovator who laid the foundation for America鈥檚 fracking boom. After four years of America last energy policy, our country is desperate for a secretary who understands how important American energy is to our economy and our national security,鈥� Barrasso said.
If confirmed, Wright will join North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Trump's choice to be interior secretary, as a key player on energy policy in a second Trump term. Wright will be a member of a new . The new panel will seek to establish U.S. 鈥渆nergy dominance鈥� around the world, Trump said.
Thomas Pyle, president of the American Energy Alliance, a conservative group that supports fossil fuels, said Wright would be 鈥渁n excellent choice鈥� for energy secretary. Pyle led Trump鈥檚 Energy Department鈥檚 transition team in 2016.
Liberty is a major energy industry service provider, with a focus on technology. Wright, who grew up in Colorado, earned undergraduate degree at MIT and did graduate work in electrical engineering at 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.
The announcement of Wright's selection came hours after a key Trump ally, billionaire , called for more direct public input into the decision-making process for another top post that the president-elect is still mulling, the head of his new administration's Treasury Department.
鈥淲ould be interesting to hear more people weigh in on this for @realDonaldTrump to consider feedback,鈥� Musk, who Trump has already tapped to co-lead a commission tasked with , posted Saturday on the X social media platform he owns.
Musk used the rest of his post to become the first participant in the public poll he was proposing, endorsing Howard Lutnick, the CEO of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald and co-chair of Trump鈥檚 , over hedge fund manager Scott Bessent.
Musk said in his post that 鈥淏essent is a business-as-usual choice, whereas @howardlutnick will actually enact change.鈥�
鈥淏usiness-as-usual is driving America bankrupt, so we need change,鈥� he said.
Both Lutnick and Bessent have been mentioned as possible picks to lead the Treasury Department. Bessent is considered the more conventional, business-friendly choice. He is skeptical about cryptocurrency, while Lutnick is friendlier to the crypto industry.
Trump鈥檚 pick to lead his Health and Human Services Department, , also endorsed Lutnick, posting on his own X account, 鈥淏itcoin is the currency of freedom, a hedge against inflation for middle class Americans.鈥�
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Daly and Long reported from Washington, D.C.
Matthew Daly, Will Weissert And Colleen Long, The Associated Press
