President-elect Trump announced Saturday that he will nominate Chris Wright, a donor and leader of a hydraulic fracturing company, to be secretary of energy.
“Chris is a leading engineer and entrepreneur in the energy sector. He has worked in nuclear power, solar power, geothermal, and oil and gas,” Trump said in a statement announcing his selection. “Most importantly, Chris was one of the pioneers who helped launch America's shale revolution, which promoted American energy independence and transformed global energy markets and geopolitics.”
Mr. Wright, a donor to President Trump, is the CEO of Liberty Energy, a hydraulic fracturing and oilfield services company. Wright will need Senate confirmation to lead the Department of Energy.
In addition to that role, Trump said Wright will serve on the newly formed National Energy Council, which will be led by Interior Secretary nominee Doug Burgum.
The council will focus on reducing regulations and increasing investment to increase oil and gas production. President Trump has signaled support for the hydraulic fracturing industry, promising to increase drilling after taking office, even as the U.S. set records for oil production under the Biden administration.
The Department of Energy oversees oil and gas production and export, as well as the country's nuclear weapons program.
Fracking, short for hydraulic fracturing, is the oil and gas extraction technology that sparked the “shale revolution,” vastly increasing energy production potential for companies and making the United States the world's largest producer of oil and gas. I contributed to that.
However, the technology is controversial due to oil and gas' contribution to climate change and the link between hydraulic fracturing and earthquakes and earthquakes.childhood cancer.
Energy company executive Harold Hamm, a Trump ally and donor, recently said Hart Energy magazine said Wright is the top choice for energy secretary.
Contributed by Rachel Fragin
