The following OpEd by ConservAmerica President Jeff Kupfer appeared in the Washington Examiner on January 15, 2025:
It is a big week for Senate confirmation hearings. On Wednesday, Chris Wright, the CEO of Liberty Energy and nominee for secretary of the Energy Department, will get his turn in front of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Unfortunately, if the hyperventilating statements from many environmental groups are any indication, it is likely to be a contentious, and not particularly productive, affair.
On the same day President-elect Donald Trump announced the nomination of Wright, the Sierra Club executive director blasted out a statement labeling him “utterly unqualified,” “a climate denier,” and “a direct threat to our future and the planet’s.” An executive at the Natural Resources Defense Council reportedly called Wright’s nomination “a disastrous mistake.”
While these comments may provide good fundraising taglines, they do not paint an accurate picture of Wright’s approach to energy policy. A closer examination of his record, including Liberty Energy’s 180-page “Bettering Human Lives” report, reveals a leader who acknowledges the challenges of climate change but also understands the importance of balancing environmental goals with energy reliability, economic development, and poverty alleviation.