American Oil and Gas Reporter - December 2024 - 33

Trump's Picks
For Key Energy Roles
Draw Praise From Industry
WASHINGTON-The adage that " personnel
is policy " appears to carry encouraging
implications for many energy
industry supporters when they look at
some key high-level positions in the forthcoming
administration of President Donald
Trump. Industry voices have been lauding
Trump's nominees to lead the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Department
of the Interior and Department of State.
And when it comes to Trump's pick
to lead the U.S. Department of Energy,
industry advocates arguably have never
cheered louder, considering that the nominee
comes from their own ranks in the
person of Liberty Energy Chief Executive
Officer Chris Wright.
" Chris Wright is a visionary leader
who has consistently advocated for advancing
American energy, " affirms Energy
Workforce & Technology Council President
Tim Tarpley. " His groundbreaking
'Bettering Human Lives' report brought
to light the moral case for expanding
American energy production to grow our
economy and improve living standards
of those across the country. As a dedicated
member of the Energy Workforce & Technology
Council, Chris has an unparalleled
understanding of the challenges and opportunities
facing the energy sector. There
is no doubt that his expertise and leadership
will make him an outstanding secretary
of energy. "
Liberty notes that Wright's appointment
is subject to confirmation by U.S. Senate,
and says he will remain in his positions
at the company until confirmation takes
place. Effective upon and subject to this
confirmation, Liberty says its board of
directors intends to appoint William Kimble
as nonexecutive chairman of the board
and Ron Gusek as CEO.
Energy Enthusiast
News of Wright's nomination came
from the president-elect in mid-November.
" I am thrilled to announce that Chris
Wright will be joining my administration
as both U.S. secretary of energy, and
member of the newly formed Council of
National Energy, " Trump said in a statement.
He described Wright as a leading
technologist and entrepreneur.
" He has worked in nuclear, solar, geothermal
and oil and gas, " Trump added.
" Most significantly, Chris was one of the
pioneers who helped launch the American
shale revolution that fueled American energy
independence, and transformed the
global energy markets and geopolitics. "
According to Liberty's website, Wright
is a " self-described tech nerd turned entrepreneur, "
and " a dedicated humanitarian
with a passion for bringing the benefits of
energy to every community in the world.
This passion has inspired a career in energy
working not only in oil and gas but also
fusion, solar and geothermal. Chris embraces
all sources of energy if they are
abundant, affordable and reliable. "
The company mentions that Wright
completed an undergraduate degree in
mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology and graduate
work in electrical engineering at
both the University of California at Berkeley
and MIT. He went on to found Pinnacle
Technologies, where he served as CEO
from 1992 to 2006.
" Pinnacle created the hydraulic fracture
mapping industry, and its innovations
helped launch commercial shale gas production
in the late 1990s, " Liberty says.
" Chris was chairman of Stroud Energy,
an early shale gas producer, before its
sale to Range Resources in 2006. Additionally,
Chris founded and serves as executive
chairman of Liberty Resources
and Liberty Midstream Solutions and
also sits on the boards of directors for
Urban Solutions Group and the Federal
Reserve Bank, Denver Branch. "
Rave Reviews
Those publicly expressing enthusiasm
for Wright include Colorado Oil & Gas
Association President Dan Haley; Texas
Alliance of Energy Producers President
Karr Ingham; U.S. Oil & Gas Association
President Tim Stewart; Continental Resources
founder Harold Hamm; Brigham
Exploration founder Bud Brigham; Domestic
Energy Producers Alliance CEO
Jerry Simmons; author, podcaster and
filmmaker Robert Bryce; author and fossil
fuel advocate Alex Epstein; American
Energy Institute founder and CEO Jason
Isaac; energy writer and consultant David
Blackmon; American Energy Alliance
President Thomas Pyle and the Wall Street
Journal Editorial Board.
" America is fortunate to have someone
as smart and thoughtful as Chris Wright
leading our country's energy strategy as
energy secretary, " Haley affirms. " Chris
is a respected leader whose strategic approach
to complex challenges will be invaluable
to the incoming administration
and our nation. His proven success in
advancing clean, affordable and reliable
energy solutions represents exactly the
kind of leadership our country's energy
policy needs. "
Ingham affirms Wright as a genuine
energy expert. " He understands that hydrocarbon
energy currently provides the
bulk of all energy in the United States
and globally, and this will not change
for a long time-perhaps never, and
certainly not in the foreseeable future, "
Ingham conveys. " As it so happens, he
is an expert in hydrocarbon extraction,
so from our standpoint, he understands
the importance of U.S. oil and gas producers
and what they do, and the bad
economics of artificially raising costs
on those producers or otherwise stifling
what they do. "
Epstein credits Wright's position on
global climate change for avoiding both
alarmism and dismissal. Combining that
in a clear and compelling presentation
can be rare, he says.
" The public debate just goes between,
'We have no impact on climate and therefore
fossil fuels are okay, climate change
DECEMBER 2024 33
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