Trump nominates climate change skeptic Chris Wright as energy secretary | Donald Trump News

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Chris Wright, a prominent climate change skeptic, to serve as energy secretary in his incoming administration.

“As Secretary of Energy, Chris will be a vital leader, driving innovation, cutting red tape, and ushering in a ‘New Golden Age of American Prosperity and World Peace,'” Trump said in a statement on Saturday.

Wright, the CEO of Liberty Energy, has long championed fossil fuel production as the basis for economic growth, which aligns with Trump’s vision of achieving “energy dominance” in the US.

“Strength is the lifeblood that makes everything in life happen,” Wright wrote in X after the announcement. “I’m looking forward to going to work.”

The leading climate skeptic

Wright has publicly denied there is a climate crisis. In a previous LinkedIn post, he dismissed the idea of ​​a global energy transition, saying there is “no climate problem” and criticized the term “carbon pollution” as misleading.

“There is no such thing as clean energy or dirty energy, all sources of energy have an impact on the world both good and bad,” Wright wrote.

His comments are a sign of Trump’s broader skepticism about environmental regulations and climate commitments, including the Paris Agreement, which Trump has also promised to withdraw from.

During his election campaign, Trump – who calls climate change a hoax – promised to boost the domestic fossil fuel industry to reduce inflation-driven energy prices.

Wright will develop the policy along with North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, head of the newly formed National Energy Council.

“We will drive the BABY DRILL, expand ALL forms of Energy production to grow our Economy, and create good paying jobs,” Trump said Friday when he announced Burgum’s hiring.

Wright has repeatedly criticized outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden’s efforts to promote the US transition to a low-carbon energy model and downplayed the importance of solar.

Among his priorities would be to lift the annual moratorium on natural gas export permits implemented under President Biden.

His views put him at odds with Trump supporter and unofficial adviser Elon Musk, the boss of Tesla, who started the electric car company and has invested heavily in solar.

‘Disastrous mistake’

Harold Hamm, Trump’s longtime ally and executive chairman of shale giant Continental Resources, praised Wright’s intelligence, saying his leadership would be critical to increasing US oil production. Mike Sommers, president of the American Petroleum Institute, echoed this view, saying that Wright’s experience in the industry “gives him valuable perspective” and will help strengthen energy exports to US partners.

But environmentalists have criticized that. Jackie Wong, senior vice president for climate and energy at the Environmental Defense Council, described Wright as a “champion of dirty fuels” and called his appointment “a terrible mistake”.

“The Department of Energy should do everything it can to develop and expand energy sources for the 21st century, not try to promote the fossil fuels of the last century,” Wong said.

The Department of Energy also oversees nuclear safety, the environmental cleanup of nuclear sites, and critical science research at its 17 national laboratories. Critics worry that Wright’s appointment could overshadow these important missions.

Controversial figures

Wright’s appointment is part of a broader pattern in Trump’s Cabinet picks, which includes a mix of conservatives and controversial figures. Other high profile nominees include Robert F Kennedy Jr, who does not believe in vaccinations, for health secretary, and former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, known for her pro-Kremlin speeches, for director of national intelligence.

Pete Hegseth, an Israeli Fox News host with limited defense experience, was appointed to lead the Pentagon, and former Congressman Matt Gaetz, who had been under investigation for sex-trafficking allegations, was chosen for the position of attorney general.