Shannon Van Hoesen, shannon.vanhoesen@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC - Today, the United States Senate voted to confirm Chris Wright as the Secretary of the Department of Energy. Wright is an outspoken critic of policies aimed at curbing climate change and the transition to renewable energy sources. He is the founder and CEO of Liberty Energy, a leading oil and fracked gas company.
Wright is taking over DOE at a time when the Trump administration ordered, and then rescinded, a freeze on federal grants that would risk jobs and energy production.
In response, Sierra Club Director of Beyond Fossil Fuels Policy Mahyar Sorour released the following statement:
“Chris Wright has made a fortune as a fracking CEO, but his new job is about more than padding the bottom line of oil and gas companies. Blocking investment in clean energy and promoting fossil fuels, like increased LNG exports, risks American jobs, and will raise energy costs for families.
“Given the recent chaos coming out of the Trump administration, I am skeptical of whether Wright is up to the task of building a steady supply of affordable energy. We will be watching and are ready to hold the agency accountable.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.