Senate confirms Trump pick for Energy secretary Chris Wright
WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed oil industry executive Chris Wright to be the next Energy Secretary on Monday, clearing the way for President Donald Trump to expand domestic energy production and ramp up liquefied natural gas exports.
The Colorado-based CEO of Liberty Energy was confirmed by a vote of 59-38, with all present Republicans and seven Democrats throwing their support behind his nomination.
Democrats in the chamber who opposed him have previously cited Trump's efforts to rollback aspects of the Inflation Reduction Act, which included clean energy tax credits, and Wright's robust support for fossil fuels.
"Mr. Wright’s nomination should be an alarm bell for every single American who has gotten a job recently at battery plants, EV factories, and other good paying clean jobs," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech in January after Trump chose Wright for the job. "Many of these Americans are in red states that trusted Donald Trump to look after them."
After taking office Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement and undid a Biden-era pause on permits for new liquefied natural gas projects. He also directed federal agencies to stop disbursing funds for electric vehicle charging stations and told them not to implement the climate law that was passed by Congress and put into place by the previous administration, roiling Democrats.
At his confirmation hearing last month, Democrats probed Wright about his views on climate change. He previously stated, "There is no climate crisis and we're not in the midst of an energy transition either." But at his hearing, Wright assuaged some Democrats by telling them, "Climate change is a global challenge that we need to solve."
At the committee level, he was voted out 15-5, with Democrats split in their support. New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich, the ranking member of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, said in a statement after that vote that he opted to support Wright based on his commitment to uphold the law and implement Congress' vision.
“I will work to hold Mr. Wright at his word – ensuring he does not lose sight of our shared vision for a cleaner, healthier and more affordable energy future," Heinrich said.