Chris Wright Will Lead on Both Energy Abundance and Environmental Progress

By Chris Barnard

A seasoned energy executive with deep experience in oil and gas, geothermal, nuclear, and solar is nominated to run the Department of Energy. One would think that he’d be met with overwhelming bipartisan support.

One would be wrong.

Chris Wright, the CEO of Liberty Energy, was nominated in November by incoming President Donald Trump to be his Secretary of Energy. Since, he has faced undue opposition from green groups and Democrats alike. Pouncing on comments Mr. Wright made about the framing of climate change, these individuals have spared no smear tactic in their campaign to undercut Mr. Wright’s undeniable qualifications. 

Yet, in stark contrast to critical headlines, Mr. Wright has repeatedly stated that we are experiencing increased global temperatures and that carbon emissions contribute to that. In fact, at my organization’s national conference in 2023, Mr. Wright discussed his lifelong environmentalism and how it informs the work he does to this day. The difference between his approach and that of his detractors, however, is that Mr. Wright is not willing to sacrifice human prosperity or quality of life for the sake of reducing emissions. As he sees it, energy poverty is one of the world’s most urgent problems and, rather than sacrificing that for environmental protection, we should balance the two. He’s right. We need more energy, not less.

Young people agree, demonstrated by a strong uptick in the popularity of reliable nuclear energy among younger generations, for example. In fact, it was primarily young people who campaigned to keep Diablo Canyon, California’s last remaining nuclear reactor, operational last year. In 2024 polling from my organization, 68% of young conservatives said they would favor a climate plan that balances both environmental and economic concerns.

Donald Trump was elected on this pro-energy dominance platform and the American people expect his administration to deliver on it. While climate activists often clamor to shut down oil and gas, the reality is that we need secure and reliable energy to power our lives, protect our homeland, and compete on the global stage with the likes of China. Oil and gas demand is going up, not down, and rather than fist-bumping Saudi royalty or loosening sanctions on murderous regimes, we should be unleashing it right here at home with the highest environmental standards and lowest emissions in the world. As an avid outdoorsman, Chris Wright understands that better than anyone. 

But it doesn’t just stop there. America should be dominant in oil and gas, yes, but it should also lead the world in up-and-coming energy technologies. That’s the role of the Department of Energy. From batteries to critical minerals to nuclear plants to solar panels, China currently beats the U.S. in almost every new energy supply chain. Rather than letting the Chinese Communist Party control these supply chains, and the nearly $4 trillion market they represent, the U.S. should be out-building, out-innovating, and out-competing the rest of the world. This is an energy abundance platform – one of energy addition, not of energy subtraction. 

Chris Wright also understands that. Through his work at Liberty Energy, and on the board of companies like Oklo, which is building next-generation nuclear reactors, Mr. Wright has embraced an all-of-the-above abundance approach, rather than picking winners and losers like Germany or California. As he puts it in his LinkedIn bio: “I don’t care where energy comes, as long as it is secure, reliable, affordable and betters human lives.” He understands that bottom-up innovation and free enterprise are the means to unlock long-term sustainability and prosperity, not big-government mandates or ideological agendas. He also understands that artificial government barriers, like years of permitting delays caused by red tape, are the biggest obstacle to energy abundance and environmental progress. 

We need an Energy Secretary who will unleash this American energy abundance while also ensuring environmental progress. In his role at the department, Mr. Wright will have the ability to re-establish a true all-of-the-above energy vision, and technologies like nuclear fusion, advanced geothermal, and carbon capture and storage will be unleashed alongside oil and gas. With the National Laboratories under his jurisdiction at DoE, the possibilities of American energy innovation are limitless.

With global energy demand increasing at unprecedented rates, we need more energy, period. There’s no doubt in my mind that under Mr. Wright’s leadership, the Department of Energy will expand this commonsense approach across the country, paving the way for an affordable, abundant, and environmentally responsible energy future. Don’t cave to the naysayers and alarmists — the Senate should move swiftly to confirm Chris Wright’s nomination and unleash the power of American innovation for years to come.

Chris Barnard is the president of the American Conservation Coalition (ACC). Follow him on X @ChrisBarnardDL

This article was originally published by RealClearEnergy and made available via RealClearWire.