Chris Wright is CEO of Liberty Energy, which produces an ESG report that argues that all the conditions of human happiness – food, shelter, health, education and longevity – aren’t possible without affordable reliable and secure energy, of which fossil fuels are a leading part.
If approved by the Senate, Trump’s pick for Energy Secretary, Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright, will be the first time the Department of Energy has had an executive in the energy industry lead it. In a statement on X, Wright said he’s “honored and grateful” for the opportunity.
“My dedication to bettering human lives remains steadfast, with a focus on making American energy more affordable, reliable, and secure. Energy is the lifeblood that makes everything in life possible. Energy matters,” Wright said.
The statement reflects an aspect about Wright that distinguishes him from other energy champions Trump has picked for cabinet positions. Energy experts have often criticized oil companies for not speaking up as fossil fuels were demonized as inherently destructive, while often capitulating to the activists’ demands to eliminate energy from fossil fuels, in hopes of being the “last one eaten.” Liberty Energy has been an exception.
No apologies
The company offers no apologies for producing oil and gas, and even speaks proudly of the work it does. Liberty Energy produces an ESG report called “Bettering Human Lives,” which argues that fossil fuels have a net-positive impact on the planet.
“Our mission is to better human lives. Human happiness comes through relationships, love, and finding a strong purpose in life. Preconditions for these ultimate ends are food, shelter, health, education, and longevity. None of these are possible without energy, and the quality of each depends on the degree of access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy,” Wright states in an introductory letter in the report.
In the letter, Wright says he’s “passionate about alternative energies” and discusses his investments in nuclear and battery technologies, but, he explains, solar, wind and batteries have not and will not replace most energy services.
Wright is also passionate about alleviating energy poverty. He founded the Bettering Human Lives Foundation, which seeks to help the world’s poor switch to cleaner cooking fuels. On energy watchdog Robert Bryce’s “Power Hungry” podcast in 2023, Wright said his favorite fossil fuel is propane because when people in undeveloped countries switch from wood and dung to propane, it reduces indoor pollution, a significant killer worldwide.