$President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Chris Wright, CEO of the world's second-largest fracking company, for Energy Secretary.$

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Jack Aylmer Energy Correspondent

Energy

Trump taps fossil fuel executive Chris Wright for energy secretary role

Nov 20, 2024

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Jack Aylmer Energy Correspondent

By Jack Aylmer (Energy Correspondent), Zachary Hill (Video Editor), Ali Caldwell (Graphics)

President-elect Donald Trump has announced Chris Wright, CEO of Liberty Energy, the world’s second-largest provider of hydraulic fracturing services, as his nominee for secretary of energy. If confirmed, under Wright’s leadership, the Department of Energy is likely to adopt a much different approach to policy when compared to the previous four years.

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“There is no climate crisis, and we’re not in the midst of an energy transition either,” Wright said. “The only thing resembling a crisis with respect to climate change is the regressive opportunity squelching policies justified in the name of climate change.”

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Wright’s career has spanned various energy sectors, including nuclear power, solar energy, geothermal energy and, most recently, oil and gas. In discussing his outlook on energy, the fossil fuel executive has stated that he does not “care where energy comes from” so long as it “is secure, reliable, affordable and betters human lives.″

“There is no such thing as clean energy or dirty energy. All energy sources have impacts on the world, both positive and negative,” Wright said. “Credible, honest dialog is sadly lacking in today’s discourse. These five terms, climate crisis, energy transition, carbon pollution, clean energy and dirty energy, are not only deceptive, they are in fact destructive.”

Wright has said that while he does not dispute the existence of climate change, the measures aimed at addressing it are “misguided and alarmist.” This opinion on climate policy falls in line with the Trump administration, which has signaled plans to reverse several renewable energy initiatives implemented during the Biden presidency.

“These policies have driven up energy prices, destabilized electrical grids and displaced high paying energy intensive jobs to other countries and states without these perverse energy policies,” Wright said of recent Biden-era climate actions. “No, these policies have not meaningfully reduced global greenhouse gas emissions. Simply moving emissions or jobs from the U.S. or U.K. to China or Vietnam is not a reduction in emissions.”

The Trump White House is expected to attempt to rescind unspent climate funds from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, rollback incentives for electric vehicle adoption, resume U.S. natural gas exports, and ease emissions regulations on coal plants. Wright is now set to potentially play a key role in implementing these changes as part of the new administration’s National Energy Council.

Tags: Climate Change, Donald Trump, Fossil Fuels, Renewable energy, U.S. Energy Department

A FOSSIL FUEL EXECUTIVE IS PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP’S NOMINEE FOR ENERGY SECRETARY.

CHRIS WRIGHT IS THE CEO OF LIBERTY ENERGY, THE WORLD’S SECOND LARGEST FRACKING SERVICES COMPANY.

UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP, THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY COULD LOOK A LOT DIFFERENT THAN IT HAS OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS.

“There is no climate crisis, and we’re not in the midst of an energy transition either.”

WRIGHT HAS WORKED WITH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ENERGY SOURCES OVER THE COURSE OF HIS CAREER.

HE STARTED OUT IN THE NUCLEAR FIELD, THEN MOVED TO SOLAR AND GEOTHERMAL POWER, BEFORE EMBARKING ON HIS CURRENT EFFORTS IN OIL AND GAS.

“There is no such thing as clean energy or dirty energy. All energy sources have impacts on the world, both positive and negative.”

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS EXPECTED TO ROLLBACK MANY OF THE RENEWABLE ENERGY ACTIONS ADVANCED BY PRESIDENT BIDEN.

THIS INCLUDES RESCINDING UNSPENT CLIMATE FUNDS FROM THE 20-22 INFLATION REDUCTION ACT, CURBING THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION’S PUSH FOR MORE EVS, RESUMING US NATURAL GAS EXPORTS, AND REVERSING STRICT EMISSIONS STANDARDS FOR COAL PLANTS.

IF CONFIRMED, WRIGHT IS EXPECTED TO PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN THESE CHANGES TO BIDEN-ERA POLICIES AS A MEMBER OF TRUMP’S NEW NATIONAL ENERGY COUNCIL.

“These policies have driven up energy prices, destabilized electrical grids and displaced high paying energy intensive jobs to other countries and states without these perverse energy policies.”

TRUMP’S ENERGY SECRETARY PICK HAS SAID HE DOES NOT DISPUTE THE EXISTENCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE-

BUT ARGUES THAT POLICIES AIMED AT REDUCING ITS IMPACTS ARE MISGUIDED AND ALARMIST.

“The only thing resembling a crisis with respect to climate change is the regressive opportunity squelching policies justified in the name of climate change.”

WRIGHT HAS PREVIOUSLY STATED THAT HE DOESN’T CARE WHERE ENERGY COMES FROM-

SO LONG AS IT IS SECURE, RELIABLE, AFFORDABLE AND BETTERS HUMAN LIVES.

TO GET MORE STORIES ABOUT THE LATEST HAPPENING IN AMERICA’S ENERGY SECTOR, DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP AND SIGN UP FOR ALERTS FROM ME- JACK AYLMER.

Trump taps fossil fuel executive Chris Wright for energy secretary role

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