Chris Wright, the Denver-based fracking CEO tapped by President Donald Trump to lead the Energy Department, was confirmed to the role by the Senate Monday evening.<\/p>\n

Senators voted 59-38 to confirm Wright, including support from some Democrats, despite opposition to his nomination from environmental groups and their party’s leadership in the Senate<\/a> who criticized his comments downplaying climate change as a serious global threat. <\/p>\n

Wright has pledged to pursue an all-of-the-above energy strategy<\/a> at the agency, which oversees a wide array of energy research and development, maintains the country\u2019s nuclear stockpile and operates the network of national laboratories. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I like most about Mr. Wright is that he tells the truth about energy production. He acknowledges that climate change is real. He knows more American energy is the solution, not the problem,\u201d said Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso<\/a> (R-Wyo.) on the floor last week. \u201cHis energy realism is welcome news.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wright spent his career pioneering fracking technologies that have helped revolutionize the oil and gas sector and turned the U.S. into the world’s largest producer of those energy sources. He is currently the CEO of Liberty Energy and is on the board of Oklo, a company developing small modular nuclear reactors. Liberty Energy is also an investor in enhanced geothermal start-up Fervo Energy.<\/p>\n

Once confirmed, Wright pledged to divest interests and stocks<\/a> and resign from his positions with Liberty Energy, Oklo and EMX Royalty, a global mining royalties company.<\/p>\n

During his confirmation hearing last month, Wright detailed three “immediate tasks” he would focus on if confirmed: unleashing American energy at home and abroad to \u201crestore our energy dominance,\u201d pursuing innovation and technology breakthroughs and cutting red tape for energy and infrastructure projects.<\/p>\n

Colorado Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper<\/a>, who has known Wright for years, acknowledged there are ample issues the pair disagree on, which has prompted \u201cheated discussions\u201d on the federal government\u2019s role in addressing climate change, in particular.<\/p>\n

But Hickenlooper \u2014 who introduced Wright at his confirmation hearing \u2014 ultimately supported his confirmation Monday.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe genuinely listens. He gives honest answers. He has pledged he will follow the facts,\u201d Hickenlooper told Blue Light News.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a funny way he is going to give the Senate the chance to have a real debate again on how fast is the climate changing and how do we measure which parts of extreme weather are a part of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wright has come under scrutiny for his previous statements and views over the threat from climate change. Environmental groups, like the League of Conservation Voters, have criticized him as a wealthy Big Oil executive with direct conflicts of interest heading the department, as well as for his previous statements \u2014 some of which, like the connection between wildfires and climate change, he doubled down on during his confirmation hearing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At the hearing, Wright acknowledged<\/a> climate change is a global challenge that needs to be solved, but noted there are trade-offs between that and the need to boost energy production.<\/p>\n

As secretary, Wright will also oversee an Energy Department that was expanded by former President Joe Biden to implement Democrats\u2019 climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act<\/a>, and other programs under the bipartisan infrastructure law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Much of that funding is currently in question<\/a> as the department undergoes a review of projects and spending spurred by Trump.<\/p>\n

Some Democrats expressed concern about Wright\u2019s willingness<\/a> to help protect those investments, which Republican lawmakers are targeting under planned reconciliation legislation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe IRA is on the table in reconciliation. They [Republicans] want to repeal it,\u201d said Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto<\/a> (D-Nev.). \u201cAnd in my state, the number one benefit to our clean energy economy, to creating jobs, and all the innovation and projects happening there is because of the bipartisan infrastructure package, the CHIPS and Science Act<\/a> and most important the Inflation Reduction Act.\u201d<\/p>\n

Senate Energy and Natural Resources ranking member Martin Heinrich<\/a> (D-N.M.), who voted in favor of Wright\u2019s nomination, told Blue Light News he expected Wright before the confirmation process to be \u201cdogmatic in his thinking on energy,\u201d given his public comments promoting fossil fuels and downplaying climate change.<\/p>\n

But Heinrich said in his conversations with Wright, the energy executive’s answers on upholding appropriated clean energy spending \u201cwere fairly clear.\u201d <\/p>\n

Wright will replace Ingrid Kolb, who has been serving as secretary in an acting capacity<\/a>, since Trump\u2019s inauguration.<\/p>\n

The president also nominated James Danly<\/a>, a Trump-appointed FERC commissioner, as deputy secretary.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere in the department, Alex Fitzsimmons will serve as Wright\u2019s chief of staff<\/a>, while Trump tapped Wells Griffith for undersecretary of energy<\/a> and Dar\u00edo Gil for undersecretary for science and innovation.<\/p>\n

Wright will also sit on the National Security Council<\/a> and could play a key role<\/a> in the National Energy Dominance Council<\/a> that is still taking shape.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"