Wright Confirmed to Lead Energy Agency Key to Trump’s Plans

(Bloomberg) -- Chris Wright was confirmed as Secretary of Energy, putting the founder of an oil and gas fracking services company in charge of an agency that will play a key role in President Donald Trump’s plans for a sweeping overhaul of US energy policy.

Wright is poised to help Trump make good on plans that include expanding of the power grid, building power plants and bringing more nuclear power online. He supports the president’s desire to unleash exports of liquefied natural gas amid a broader goal of promoting fossil fuel production and pulling back the fight against climate change. 

Wright, who was confirmed by a vote of 59 to 38, reassured Democrats during his confirmation hearing he supports renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, goethermal and hydropower. He also said the Energy Department would play an important role in fighting climate change, the threat of which he previously has said is exaggerated. 

“He’s not a product of DC. I think that’s going to be his strength,” said Les Csorba, a friend of Wright and leadership adviser to him as a partner at firm Heidrick & Struggles International Inc. “He’s a self-proclaimed energy tech nerd.”

Wright, who has said he would step down as chief executive officer of Liberty Energy Inc. upon his confirmation, has no previous Washington experience but is known as an unapologetic defender of the oil and gas industry. He once drank fracking fluid to refute critics who questioned its safety. 

While the Energy Department doesn’t play a direct role in oil and gas development, it has disparate missions ranging from maintaining the nation’s 700 million barrel capacity reserve of crude oil to managing America’s arsenal of nuclear war heads. The agency has an annual budget of about $50 billion.

It’s also responsible for giving approval to companies that want to ship liquefied natural gas overseas as well as overseeing a $400 billion green bank that has been targeted for review by the White House Office of Management and Budget. 

©2025 Bloomberg L.P.