Chris Wright, who was nominated by President-elect Trump to head the U.S. Department of Energy, is expected to tell the senators in charge of confirming him that he will focus on restoring America's “energy dominance” at home and abroad.
Wright, a fossil fuel executive who has previously criticized the media for blaming climate change for repeated wildfires, is scheduled to make an opening statement before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday morning. Fox News Digital obtained an advance copy of the statement ahead of the hearing, which is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. ET.
In his opening statement, Wright is expected to say, “I am humbled by the great responsibility that this position carries.'' “America has a historic opportunity to secure our energy systems, provide leadership in science and innovation, manage our weapons stockpiles, and fulfill our Cold War legacy waste commitments.”
Wright, who describes himself as a “science geek turned technology geek turned lifelong energy entrepreneur,” will tell the committee how his “interest in energy began at an early age in Denver, Colorado.” is. In his opening statement, he described how he came to MIT “specifically to work on fusion energy” and then to graduate school at the University of California, Berkeley, where he worked on “solar energy and power electronics.”
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On the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on January 12, 2018, Liberty Oilfield Services CEO Chris Wright laughed as he celebrated the companies' IPOs. (Reuters)
“Energy is the key transformative element that makes everything we do possible. A society with low energy is poor. A society with high energy provides health, wealth, and opportunity for all.” “We can do that,” Wright said. “The stated mission of Liberty Energy, the company I founded, is to improve human life through energy. Liberty works directly in oil, natural gas, and next-generation geothermal, and we are working directly with next-generation nuclear energy and new We are also collaborating on battery technology.
“Energy has been a lifelong passion of mine and I've never been shy about that fact,” Wright plans to tell the committee. “Again, I've never been shy about many things. President Trump shares my passion for energy, and if confirmed, I'd like to see affordable, reliable He will work tirelessly to carry out his bold policies as an unabashed steward of all of America's high and secure energy sources.”
On Tuesday, a Democratic committee led by Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico rejected Wright's confirmation because it had not yet received “standard financial disclosure reports, ethics agreements, or input from Congress.” He asked that the hearing be postponed for at least a week. The designated agency ethics officer and the Office of Government Ethics said the candidate complied with ethics laws. ”
Chairman Mike Lee (R-Utah) had already postponed the confirmation hearing for Doug Burgum, President Trump's nominee for Interior Secretary, by two days until Thursday, citing delays in OGE paperwork, but Wright remained on the schedule for Wednesday.
Chris Wright, CEO of Liberty Oilfield Services, at Liberty on January 17, 2018. (Andy Cross/Denver Post via Getty Images)
If confirmed as secretary, Wright would control U.S. energy policy and production, as well as the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile. He will also work with Burgum on the National Energy Council to develop Trump's energy dominance agenda, which includes increasing U.S. oil and gas production.
Mr. Wright said he would step down as CEO and chairman of hydraulic fracturing company Liberty Energy if approved.
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Doug Burgum, President Trump's nominee for Interior Secretary, rides an elevator in the Dirksen Senate Building on December 10, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
In his opening statement, Wright listed three “immediate” tasks he would focus on if confirmed.
“The first thing is to unleash American energy at home and abroad and restore energy dominance,” Wright would say. “Our nation's security begins with energy. Previous administrations have viewed energy as a liability rather than a tremendous national asset. We need to expand energy production and reduce costs of energy. ”
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“Second, we must lead the world in innovation and technological advancement,” the statement continues. “Throughout my lifetime, technology and innovation have immeasurably improved the human condition. We have protected the work of the Department's National Laboratory Network to ensure America's competitiveness and security. I am committed to working with Congress on this important national mission.'' ”
“Third, we have to build things up in America again and remove barriers to progress,” Wright would say. “Today's federal policies make it very easy to cancel projects and very difficult to start and complete them. This makes energy more expensive, less reliable, and less reliable. President Trump is committed to lowering energy costs, and to do so he must prioritize private sector investment and making energy more affordable for families and businesses. Build the infrastructure necessary to do so.”
