Energy Expert Chris Wright Tapped to Lead DOE

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Chris Wright, CEO of Denver-based fracking company Liberty Energy, to be the next Secretary of the Department of Energy. Wright will also join the newly formed Council of National Energy, which Trump said will include all agencies involved in energy processes. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Trump's pick for Secretary of the Interior, will chair the council. Trump praised Wright's work across various energy sectors, including nuclear, solar, geothermal, and oil and gas. Wright played a key role in the American Shale Revolution, which led to American energy independence and influenced global energy markets. Besides fracking, Wright is involved with a company developing modular nuclear reactors and has discussed the potential of nuclear energy.

Harold Hamm, a fracking billionaire and energy advisor to Trump, endorsed Wright as a top choice for the position. Wright acknowledges the link between fossil fuels and climate change but questions whether climate change worsens extreme weather. He supports fossil fuels, believing they're essential for lifting the developing world out of poverty. In a 2023 interview, he stated that calls for a decade-long transition off fossil fuels were unrealistic. The International Energy Agency previously advised that no new fossil fuel developments should be approved to mitigate global warming. However, many countries, including the US under President Biden, have approved new projects since then. Wright argues against swiftly transitioning away from current energy systems before a new one is established, expecting significant changes in the hydrocarbon system over the next three decades.

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