Senate Confirms Chris Wright To Be Trump’s Energy Secretary

CEO Chris Wright has officially been confirmed by the Senate as President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Energy. In this role, he will be instrumental in advancing the president’s "Drill, baby, drill" energy strategy.

Wright gained bipartisan support from Senate members following his nomination by Trump to oversee the Department of Energy within his administration.

Bringing a wealth of experience to the position, Wright has been the CEO and founder of Liberty Energy Inc. since 2011. His nomination successfully moved through the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee before reaching the Senate floor for a final vote, where he secured confirmation with a 59 to 38 vote.

Once sworn in, Wright will collaborate closely with President Trump to spearhead his energy agenda for the upcoming four years. The 47th president has already placed a strong emphasis on energy policy in his first two weeks in office, declaring an "energy emergency" on his first day, lifting former President Joe Biden’s moratorium on liquefied natural gas exports, and rolling back prior climate regulations.

Wright’s energy outlook aligns with Trump’s priorities, as he stated during his confirmation hearing that his main goal would be to expand American energy capabilities and increase domestic production.

Citing the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) ("NEA") and section 301 of Title 3, United States Code, Trump formally declared the energy emergency.

“This active threat to the American people from high energy prices is exacerbated by our Nation’s diminished capacity to insulate itself from hostile foreign actors. Energy security is an increasingly crucial theater of global competition,” the order asserts.

“In an effort to harm the American people, hostile state and non-state foreign actors have targeted our domestic energy infrastructure, weaponized our reliance on foreign energy, and abused their ability to cause dramatic swings within international commodity markets. An affordable and reliable domestic supply of energy is a fundamental requirement for the national and economic security of any nation,” the order elaborates.

Additionally, the order emphasizes:

The integrity and growth of the nation’s energy infrastructure—from coast to coast—remains an urgent priority to safeguard the United States’ national and economic security. It is critical that the federal government prioritizes the physical and economic well-being of the American people.

Furthermore, the United States possesses untapped energy resources that can be utilized domestically while also supplying international allies with a stable, diverse, and cost-effective energy supply. This approach would stimulate job creation and economic growth, strengthen America’s trade position, counter hostile foreign influences, fortify alliances, and contribute to global peace and stability. Consequently, the nation’s current energy predicament imposes unnecessary and dangerous limitations on foreign policy.

“The policies of the previous administration have driven our Nation into a national emergency, where a precariously inadequate and intermittent energy supply, and an increasingly unreliable grid, require swift and decisive action,” the order states.

“Without immediate remedy, this situation will dramatically deteriorate in the near future due to a high demand for energy and natural resources to power the next generation of technology,” it continues. “The United States’ ability to remain at the forefront of technological innovation depends on a reliable supply of energy and the integrity of our Nation’s electrical grid.”

“Our Nation’s current inadequate development of domestic energy resources leaves us vulnerable to hostile foreign actors and poses an imminent and growing threat to the United States’ prosperity and national security,” the emergency order warns.

“The United States’ insufficient energy production, transportation, refining, and generation constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to our Nation’s economy, national security, and foreign policy. In light of these findings, I hereby declare a national emergency,” Trump declared.