chris Wright, The CEO of a fracking company who was nominated by Trump to be Secretary of Energy and who previously insisted there was “no climate crisis” acknowledged climate change is a “real problem” during his confirmation hearing Wednesday.
Wright, who runs Liberty Energy and has $171 million in assets, was appointed by President Trump in mid-November. President Trump has heralded him as someone who will help lead the administration’s efforts to deregulate and eliminate government subsidies for renewable energy.
But Wright’s recognition that climate change is “real” and that the United States must “advance our energy system” diverges from Trump’s previous climate denials, including calling climate change a hoax and denying the scientific consensus supporting the issue. It is placed.
Given his background, it is unclear whether Wright’s comments before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will affect his tenure if he is confirmed. After Trump announced plans to nominate Wright, the Sierra Club defined him as a “climate denier who has profited from polluting our communities and endangering our health and future.” According to the Energy and Policy Institute, Wright has donated $165,000 since 2014 to a Koch-controlled Super PAC, which in turn has donated millions to climate denial groups that oppose renewable energy.
In a 2023 LinkedIn video post, Wright argued that “there is no climate crisis and we are not in the midst of an energy transition,” and that “the only thing that resembles a crisis when it comes to climate change is the regressive opportunity to suppress policies that justify climate change.” In the name.” Light also downplayed it. “Despite endless fear-mongering, there has been no increase in the frequency or intensity of hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, or floods,” it claims about the relationship between climate change and devastating natural disasters.
Against the backdrop of deadly fires raging in Los Angeles, California Sen. Alex Padilla rebuked Wright for his past claims that wildfires have nothing to do with climate change. “I know you wrote, ‘The hype about the wildfires is just hype to justify more poverty due to bad government policies,’” Padilla said. “Do you still think wildfires are just hype?” Wright said he stands by his comments.
Environmental advocates have argued that Wright’s background made him an inappropriate choice to lead the Energy Department, and his testimony Wednesday did not seem to change that. “His background as the CEO of a hydraulic fracturing company runs counter to the department’s stated purpose of ‘fostering an environmentally friendly, safe and reliable energy system,’” Food & Water Watch, a nonprofit environmental group, tweeted during the hearing. It’s economically sustainable.’”
Chris Wright, Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Energy, had his confirmation hearing this morning. As is the case with candidate Trump, Wright’s career as CEO of a hydraulic fracturing company runs counter to the department’s stated purpose of “fostering safe and trustworthy businesses.”
— Food and Water Watch (@foodandwater) January 15, 2025
