Fossil Fuel Insider has No Place Running Energy Department

January 15, 2025

Fossil Fuel Insider has No Place Running Energy Department

Washington - Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is conducting a hearing on the nomination of fracking executive Chris Wright to be Trump's Secretary of Energy. David Arkush, director of Public Citizen's Climate Program, issued the following statement:

"Donald Trump's pick to run the Energy Department makes clear that the new administration will be in the pocket of the fossil fuel donors. Chris Wright has been an evangelist for drilling more and exporting more U.S.-produced fossil fuels overseas. His confirmation will put Big Oil profits ahead of protecting American families by raising prices and pushing back the transition to renewable energy, accelerating catastrophic climate change.

"As Energy Secretary, Wright would be tasked with executing the Energy Department's longstanding legal mandate to evaluate whether proposals to export U.S. natural gas overseas are in the public interest. This requirement protects American consumers from price-gouging and the public from a broader set of harms, including from climate chaos. Wright has offered no reason to believe he will carry out this mission faithfully.

"Adding to his pro-corporate bent, Wright's companies are lead plaintiffs in a lawsuit seeking to block the Securities and Exchange Commission's disclosure rule on climate-related financial risks - making them prime actors in the effort to deny investors crucial information about companies' exposure to climate-related risks.

"Among a slate of nominees with corrupt ties to industry, Wright's career in fossil fuels and his hostility to renewable energy are jaw-dropping conflicts. At a moment when every media format is jammed with images and stories of fossil-fueled climate devastation, the Senate should consider the deep harm Wright would do to American families - and should reject his nomination."

Check out Public Citizen's Trackeron Trump Appointees' Corporate Conflicts of Interest.

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