In his quest to achieve “energy dominance,” President-elect Donald Trump could elevate a strident fossil fuel evangelist to a top energy job in his new administration.
Chris Wright, a Trump donor and CEO of Denver-based fracking technology company Liberty Energy, is a candidate to lead the Department of Energy or act as “energy czar” once Trump takes office in January.
While the Trump team has stayed mum on an official DOE selection, Wright is getting support from conservatives, including oil and gas magnate Harold Hamm.
Wright could give fossil fuels a boost with industry-friendly grants and natural gas export approvals from a high-profile post. He could also help direct the U.S. energy agenda away from the Biden administration’s emphasis on lower emissions and further toward domestic oil that Trump has called “liquid gold.”
