After his victory in the American presidential elections, Donald Trump has now announced his choice for the future Minister of Energy. Chris Wright, a Colorado entrepreneur and climate change skeptic, will take over when Trump replaces incumbent Joe Biden in January, according to a statement on Saturday.
The boss and founder of oil services company Liberty Energy must cut red tape to stimulate investment in fossil fuels, Trump said. If the Senate follows his proposal, Wright would likely herald a shift in U.S. climate policy toward fossil fuels.
Wright denies there is a climate crisis
“There is no climate crisis, and we are not in a transition when it comes to energy,” Wright said in a video on LinkedIn last year. He caused a stir in 2019 when he drank fracking fluid on camera to demonstrate his supposed harmlessness. He compared the Democrats’ fight against global warming to Soviet communism.
Wright will also join the newly created National Energy Council, Trump announced. According to US reports, he was nominated to head the Energy Department by influential conservatives, including oil and gas magnate Harold Hamm. The Energy Council is intended to coordinate all aspects of energy production and use in the U.S. and advance the goal of “energy dominance.”
Trump has already caused a stir with his outstanding personalities. Ministerial positions usually require confirmation by the Senate. Several Republicans in the House have already said they have some questions for the candidates. However, Trump is putting pressure on his party colleagues in the Senate to bypass the complex confirmation process through an exception.
The Secretary of Energy also oversees nuclear weapons
In the US, the Department of Energy is responsible, among other things, for the country’s energy policy towards foreign countries, manages strategic petroleum reserves and implements financing and lending programs. The minister also oversees nuclear weapons, is responsible for the disposal of nuclear waste and manages 17 laboratories.
The country’s oil production already reached a record under Joe Biden. It is uncertain whether this can be increased under Trump. Electricity consumption in the US is rising for the first time in two decades, driven by artificial intelligence, electric vehicles and cryptocurrencies.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
