WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Fossil fuel executive Chris Wright, Donald Trump's choice for Energy secretary, is a strong supporter of , including fracking, a key pillar of the president-elect鈥檚 quest for 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 he could give fossil fuels a boost, including quick action to end by the Biden administration.
CEO of Denver-based , he describes himself as 鈥渁 tech nerd turned entrepreneur鈥� and promotes the idea that more fossil fuel production can lift people out of poverty around the globe.
Here are some things to know about Wright.
He has no experience in government
Wright has been chairman and CEO of Liberty Energy since 2011 and has no experience in government.
Liberty is a major energy industry service provider, with a focus on technology. Wright, who grew up in Colorado, earned an undergraduate degree at MIT and did graduate work in electrical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley and MIT. In 1992, he founded , 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.
Wright says on LinkedIn that he is 鈥渁ll-in on energy,鈥� from starting his career in nuclear, solar and geothermal energy to his current efforts in oil and gas and 鈥渘ext-generation鈥� geothermal. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 care where energy comes (from), as long as it is secure, reliable, affordable and betters human lives,鈥� he wrote.
Wright will serve on Trump鈥檚 new National Energy Council
If confirmed, Wright will join North Dakota Gov. , Trump鈥檚 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.
The energy council will include all executive branch agencies involved in energy permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation and transportation, with a focus on 鈥渃utting red tape鈥� and boosting domestic energy production, Trump said. The council鈥檚 mission represents a near-complete reversal from actions pursued by Democratic President , who has made fighting climate change a top priority.
Trump has pledged to rescind unspent funds in and is widely expected to curb or reverse Biden鈥檚 and from coal-fired power plants.
Wright has won support from conservatives and oil industry leaders
Wright has won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon .
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.
Thomas Pyle, president of the American Energy Alliance, a conservative group that supports fossil fuels, called Wright 鈥渁n excellent choice鈥� for energy secretary. Pyle led Trump鈥檚 energy transition team in 2016.
Mike Sommers, president of the American Petroleum Institute, the oil and gas industry鈥檚 top lobbying group, also praised Wright, saying the group looks forward to working with him 鈥渢o bolster American geopolitical strength" by lifting Biden's pause on LNG export permits and ensuring 鈥渙pen access" for American energy around the world.
Wyoming Sen. of Wyoming, the top Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, called Wright an energy innovator who played a key role in America鈥檚 fracking boom.
Wright has disparaged climate activists, who have denounced his selection
Wright has frequently criticized what he calls a 鈥渢op-down鈥� approach to climate change by liberal and left-wing groups. He argues that the climate movement around the world is 鈥渃ollapsing under its own weight.鈥�
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鈥� and said his nomination 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,鈥� 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.鈥�
Lena Moffitt, executive director of Evergreen Action, another environmental group, said Wright has 鈥渟hown that his loyalty lies with fossil fuel interests. Yet he would be tasked with overseeing billions in clean energy investments that are critical to lowering costs and creating jobs nationwide. This nomination is a clear indication that Trump is more interested in helping his political allies than tackling the real challenges facing everyday Americans.鈥�
Matthew Daly, The Associated Press
