Energy groups and advocates described President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright as Energy Secretary as a return to normalcy for an agency that, under the Biden-Harris administration, prioritized climate change goals.
That would benefit Pennsylvania, the nation’s second-largest natural gas-producing state.
David N. Taylor, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association, told DVJournal, “We couldn’t ask for a more pro-production leader for the agency.”
Wright, a self-described tech nerd, entered the energy industry by founding Pinnacle Technologies. The company pioneered hydraulic fracture mapping which revolutionized shale gas production. In 2010, he founded Liberty Energy, now valued at more than $2.8 billion.
That’s a huge plus to Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC) President David Callahan. He told DVJournal the group is very confident Wright will bring important perspectives to strengthen the country’s energy strategy.
Contrary to some media reports, Wright isn’t the first energy executive to lead DOE. That was Samuel Bodman, who was Cabot Corporation CEO in the 1980s.
Craig Stevens, partner at DCI Group and a former senior adviser to Bodman, said Wright and Bodman share a similar philosophy, believing in an ‘all of the above’ energy approach.
“[They see] we have tremendous untapped energy resources in the U.S. that we should be able to develop and deploy to help grow our economy, create jobs, and support our allies,” he told DVJournal.
Trump made energy development a key plank of his presidential campaign this year. He hammered Vice President Kamala Harris for endorsing a fracking ban and support for the Green New Deal in 2019. Trump routinely mentioned the importance of fracking during rallies in Pennsylvania.
“Frack, frack, frack and drill, baby, drill,” he said at an October rally.
Natural gas plays a crucial role in Pennsylvania’s economy. According to an MSC analysis, the energy sector generates over $41 billion in state economic activity annually, supports 123,000 jobs, and contributes $3.2 billion in tax revenue to state and local governments.
Environmentalists continue to hold some sway in the Pennsylvania government. In 2019, former Gov. Tom Wolf (D) unilaterally attempted to admit the state into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The compact taxed carbon emissions by forcing companies to either buy or trade for a credit. It’s currently tied up in court.
Earlier this year, Gov. Josh Shapiro – who avoided RGGI on the campaign trail – announced his Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction Act (PACER) program. Shapiro sold it as a plan “tailored for Pennsylvanian,” but it failed to get a hearing in the state legislature.
Like his future boss, Wright isn’t shy about criticizing certain environmental policies.
Wright castigated the Biden-Harris administration and other governments for setting unrealistic climate goals and demonizing fossil fuels. He called the Net Zero 2050 campaign “unachievable and, frankly, unadvisable” due to its cost and reliance on unreliable technology.
Green activists aren’t happy.
Greenpeace USA Deputy Climate Program Director John Noel told DVJournal Wright’s nomination was akin to “putting a pyromaniac in charge of the fire department.” He suggested the appointment was part of a disturbing trend of oil and gas executives being nominated for key government roles.
Although portrayed as a climate change skeptic, Wright acknowledged last year the Earth was getting warmer and that sea levels were rising. “Since the end of World War II, human burning of fossil fuels has increased atmospheric CO2 concentration by about 50 percent,” he said.
But Wright argued the danger of climate change through energy consumption was “clearly overwhelmed” by its benefits to the human race through increased life expectancy, wealth, and health.
He’s also advocated for politicians and advocates to stop using phrases like “climate crisis,” “dirty energy,” and “clean energy,” and suggested they cause regulators to oppose the construction of pipelines and liquid natural gas export terminals. Wright argued that such terms create unnecessary anxiety in children and distract from practical, solvable problems.
“The only thing resembling a crisis with respect to climate change is the regressive, opportunity squelching policies justified in the name of ‘climate change’,” said Wright.
He thinks the green energy push resulted in higher prices, destabilized grids, and displaced high-paying jobs.
Energy analyst Trisha Curtis of PetroNerds defended Wright’s comments by pointing towards Germany. The European country has experienced energy price shocks as it pivoted from nuclear and fossil fuels to renewables. “[Americans] don’t want to be that,” she said.
Stevens, now a spokesperson for Grow America’s Infrastructure Now (GAIN), a coalition that wants to protect U.S. energy security, lauded Wright as the perfect person for Energy Secretary. He said Wright will reduce regulations and unnecessary delays to critical energy projects.
Callahan agreed.
“We look forward to working alongside Mr. Wright … to further unlock Pennsylvania’s natural gas resources for energy security, environmental progress and, critically, America’s stature on the global stage,” he said.
