Energy groups and advocates are seeing President-elect Donald Trump’s pick of Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright for energy secretary as a shift back to what they consider normal operations, after feeling the Biden administration stifled progress with various roadblocks.
Trisha Curtis from PetroNerds remarked, “Chris Wright is incredibly qualified—he’s smart, passionate, and really cares about consumers. He has a deep understanding of both the intricacies of energy and the costs involved.”
Wright, who describes himself as a “tech nerd,” made his entry into the energy world by founding Pinnacle Technologies, a company instrumental in the development of hydraulic fracture mapping, a breakthrough that transformed shale gas production. He later launched Liberty Energy in 2010, a company that has grown to a value exceeding $2.8 billion. Trump praised Wright as a trailblazer in the energy sector, crediting him with fueling energy independence in the United States.
During his campaign, Trump emphasized energy development and criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for backing a fracking ban and supporting the Green New Deal back in 2019.
Wright, much like Trump, isn’t one to hold back his opinions.
Two years ago, he boldly put up billboards in Denver that took aim at The North Face. The outdoor apparel brand had refused to work with energy companies, despite using materials derived from synthetic oil. The billboards cleverly stated, “That North Face puffer looks great on you. And it was made from fossil fuels.”
Wright has also been vocal against the Biden administration’s climate goals, calling them unrealistic and likening the Net Zero 2050 initiative to an “unachievable and, frankly, unadvisable” plan due to its hefty price tag and reliance on unstable technology.
This has not sat well with environmental advocates.
John Noel from Greenpeace USA likened Wright’s appointment to “putting a pyromaniac in charge of the fire department,” suggesting it is part of a worrying trend of oil and gas figures being placed in key government positions.
Although Wright has been branded as a skeptic of climate change, he acknowledged last year that the planet is warming and sea levels are rising. He noted, “Human burning of fossil fuels has increased atmospheric CO2 concentration by about 50 percent since the end of World War II.”
However, Wright argues that the supposed dangers of climate change are greatly overshadowed by the benefits energy consumption has provided for humanity, such as longer life expectancies, increased wealth, and better health.
“The real crisis related to climate change is the regressive policies that are stifling opportunities and are supposedly justified in the name of ‘climate change,’” Wright stated.
He believes the shift towards green energy has led to higher costs, grid instability, and the loss of high-paying jobs.
Curtis supported Wright’s perspective by highlighting Germany’s experience; as the country moved away from nuclear and fossil fuels towards renewable energy, it faced significant energy price increases. She added, “Americans don’t want to be in that position.”
Taylor Millard covers politics and public policy for InsideSources.com.
