Trump nominates fracking magnate and climate skeptic as energy secretary

WASHINGTON, United States — US President-elect Donald Trump nominated fracking magnate and climate change skeptic Chris Wright as energy secretary on Saturday, tasking him with "cutting red tape" which the new administration hopes will drive investment in fossil fuels.

"As Secretary of Energy, Chris will be a key leader, driving innovation, cutting red tape, and ushering in a new 'Golden Age of American Prosperity and Global Peace,'" Trump said in a statement.

Wright is a founder of Liberty Energy, which serves the energy companies that have massively increased US fossil fuel production in recent years by extracting oil and gas from shale fields in a process known as "fracking."

In a LinkedIn post, Wright denied that there was a "climate crisis."

"There is no climate crisis and we are not in the midst of an energy transition either," he said, adding that "the term carbon pollution is outrageous" because all life depended on carbon dioxide.

"There is no such thing as clean energy or dirty energy, all energy sources have impacts on the world both positive and negative," he added.

Trump called him "one of the pioneers who helped launch the American Shale Revolution that fueled American Energy Independence, and transformed the Global Energy Markets and Geopolitics."

Drilling

During his election campaign, Trump promised to boost the domestic fossil fuel industry in order to bring down energy prices which have fuelled inflation for consumers.

He also pledged to tear up environmental regulations and the United States' commitments to combat climate change under the landmark 2015 Paris accords.

Wright's nomination will be welcomed by the US fossil fuel industry.

He will devise policy alongside North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum who will oversee the entire sector under Trump as interior secretary.

Announcing Burgum's nomination as the head of a new National Energy Council on Friday, Trump said the United States was "blessed with vast amounts of 'Liquid Gold' and other valuable Minerals and Resources, right beneath our feet."

"We will DRILL BABY DRILL, expand ALL forms of Energy production to grow our Economy, and create good-paying jobs," he added.

Wright has repeatedly criticized efforts by outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden to encourage America's transition to a low-carbon energy model and has downplayed the importance of solar.

His views put him notably at odds with Trump's key backer and informal advisor Elon Musk, the boss of Tesla, who started the electric car company and invested heavily in solar out of fear of the impact of climate change.

Controversial picks

Trump, 78, began shaping his new administration this week with a series of relatively mainstream Republican choices, including conservative Florida senator and foreign policy hawk Marco Rubio for secretary of state.

But then came a quartet of nominations for leaders of sprawling federal departments in his new government who have little or no relevant experience -- but a history of loyalty to the incoming president.

Among the most controversial were attorney general pick Matt Gaetz, a former congressman once investigated for alleged sex trafficking, as well as Fox News host and national guard veteran Pete Hegseth, who was nominated to lead the Pentagon.

Like Wright, they will require approval from the Republican-dominated Senate where Trump has warned lawmakers not to stand in his way or even skip the oversight process all together.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic and conspiracy theorist, has been nominated to be the new health secretary, while Tulsi Gabbard, who has regularly echoed Kremlin talking-points, was offered the job of director of national intelligence.

Trump is yet to name a treasury secretary who will be tasked with cutting taxes, or a director of the FBI.