Trump picks fossil fuel executive Chris Wright as energy chief
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The news: President-elect Donald Trump named oil and gas industry executive Chris Wright, as his nominee for secretary of energy.
Wright, founder and CEO of Liberty Energy - the world’s second largest fracking services company - is known as a vocal defender of fossil fuel use, for saying there is "no climate crisis" and for calling climate activism alarmist.
Self-described as a “tech nerd”, Wright gained attention through media appearances, including on Fox News, and drinking fracking fluid on camera in 2019 to show it was not dangerous.
He founded the USD2.8 billion ($4.33 billion) Liberty Energy in 2011, and along with his wife, Liz Wright, the couple donated USD350,000 to Trump's campaign.
Wright has no government experience but is expected to support Trump’s goal to maximize oil and gas production.
The context: Chris Wright’s nomination as energy secretary is also in line with Trump’s plans to dilute or scrap regulations aimed at reducing emissions.
If confirmed by the Senate, Wright will replace Jennifer Granholm, a supporter of electric vehicles and sustainable energy sources as the head of the Department of Energy, which oversees nuclear security and energy diplomacy.
The focus of the agency would shift under Wright’s leadership to emphasize oil, gas and nuclear power amid rising US power demand fuelled by AI, electric vehicles and cryptocurrencies.
The nomination comes as global climate discussions, such as the UN summit in Baku, advocate for investments in clean energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
The numbers: Trump has made 12 Cabinet-level appointments in the 12 days since the election, five times faster than President Biden made the same number of picks for his administration, according to Axios.
Also on the weekend, Trump appointed his personal attorney Will Scharf to serve as White House staff secretary.
The sources: Donald Trump anouncement, Reuters , The New York Times
