President-elect Donald Trump announced Chris Wright, CEO and founder of Liberty Energy, as Secretary of Energy for his new administration. The appointment is a part of a larger strategy to build an agenda on energy independence and increase oil and gas production in the United States.
Chris Wright: A Leading Technologist and Entrepreneur in Energy
Trump yesterday issued a statement in which he welcomed Wright into his fold, hailing him as “a leading technologist and entrepreneur in Energy.” According to the President-elect, Wright has “lifetimes” of experience in the energy industry, ranging from nuclear, solar, geothermal, and oil and gas. Trump also commended Wright for his role in turning around the American Shale Revolution, which he credited with turning the energy markets around globally and reshaping geopolitics.
“Most important, Chris was one of the pioneering individuals who helped launch the American Shale Revolution that powered American Energy Independence,” said Trump in a statement.
Strong Background in Engineering and Entrepreneurship
A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering, Wright has also completed graduate studies in electrical engineering at UC Berkeley and MIT. He has described himself as a “tech nerd turned entrepreneur” whose focus is clear: expanding access to low-cost, reliable energy worldwide.
Wright, whose experience is also as stated on Liberty Energy’s website, doubles as a “dedicated humanitarian” who aims to improve human life with energy solutions.
Energy Policy Front and Center for Trump
Trump’s pick of Wright aligns with the president-elect’s apparent emphasis on energy independence during his second term. On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to increase domestic energy production, including fracking, roll back some of climate and energy policies enacted by the Biden administration. He has promised to pull the US out of the Paris Climate Accord again and to end stringent emissions standards for both vehicles and power plants.
“They annihilated your steel mills, decimated your coal jobs, assaulted your oil and gas jobs and sold off your manufacturing jobs to China and other foreign nations all over the world,” Trump said in a campaign rally in Pennsylvania last month in his criticism of what the Biden administration intended to do for the country’s energy policies.
Fast-paced cabinet appointments reflect ‘America First’ agenda
Trump has largely filled out his cabinet for his second term with even more speed than during the first four years. His transition team attributes this rapid rollout as part of his commitment to the “America First” policy. Karoline Leavitt, spokeswoman for the Trump-Vance transition team, said in a statement, “The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin, giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail — and his Cabinet picks reflect his priority to put America First.”
During his first term, Trump nominated former Texas Governor Rick Perry to head the Department of Energy, succeeded by Dan Brouillette in 2019. The appointment of Wright to be secretary of energy for Trump’s second term further plays on the theme of energy independence articulated by the president and his drive to roll back several federal restrictions that restrict the oil, gas, and energy industries.
In addition to the secretary of energy position, reports say Trump has nominated former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin for head of the Environmental Protection Agency, likely a choice for a “energy czar” to roll back climate-related regulations.
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