President-elect Donald Trump picked Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright to be the secretary of the Department of Energy on Saturday as a slew of high-level Cabinet picks have come in over the past week.
In a statement from the Trump-Vance transition team, Trump said Wright will serve both as secretary of the DOE and as a member of the newly created Council of National Energy.
Trump described Wright as a “self-described tech nerd turned entrepreneur” and a “dedicated humanitarian with a passion for bringing the benefits of energy to every community in the world.”
Trump also said Wright has experience working in the oil and gas industry, solar, geothermal, and nuclear.
Shortly after the announcement of Wright’s selection, American Petroleum Institute CEO Mike Sommers lauded the pick.
“Chris Wright’s experience in the American energy sector gives him an important perspective that will inform his leadership of the Department of Energy. We look forward to working with him once confirmed to bolster American geopolitical strength by lifting DOE’s pause on LNG export permits and ensuring the open access of American energy for our allies around the world,” he said.
Frank Maisano, a senior principal at Bracewell, an energy law firm, described Wright as a “super smart individual who has a deep understanding of the oil and gas industry and the importance of energy dominance.”
“Chris Wright is a super smart individual who has a deep understanding of the oil and gas industry and the importance of energy dominance. He will be able to dig through the nuance and the complexities in our energy policy and help us continue to drive forward to provide innovation and new technologies that can meet consumer needs reliably and affordably while still providing important energy safeguards and reduce emissions,” he said.
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The new National Energy Council that Trump tapped Wright to be a member of will be focused on “cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the Economy, and by focusing on INNOVATION over longstanding, but totally unnecessary, regulation,” according to a statement from the Trump administration.
Trump’s pick to lead the Department of the Interior, Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), will be the chairman of that council.
This is a breaking story and may be updated.
