President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Chris Wright, who runs a Colorado-based oil and gas services company, to lead the Department of Energy and said he plans to create a new council to advance U.S. energy production.
Wright, the CEO of Liberty Energy, has no previous experience in Washington, but he has built a reputation as a strong advocate for oil and gas, arguing that fossil fuels are essential to spreading prosperity and lifting people out of poverty. He has said the threat of global warming is overblown.
“Chris is a leading technology expert and energy entrepreneur. He has worked in nuclear, solar, geothermal, and oil and gas,” Trump said in a statement Saturday. “Most importantly, Chris was one of the pioneers who helped launch the U.S. shale revolution that has fueled American energy independence and transformed global energy markets and geopolitics.”
Donald Trump’s team is working to form a new administration, and the president-elect is expected to bring in high-level advisers and cabinet members drawn from the elite of big business and executives.
Trump noted that Wright, if confirmed, would also serve on the newly formed Council of National Energy, which will be chaired by Doug Burgum, Trump’s nominee to lead the Interior Department.
“This council will oversee the path to American energy dominance by cutting red tape, promoting private sector investment across the economy, and emphasizing innovation instead of long-standing but completely unnecessary regulation,” Trump said.
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