November 16, 2024 – President-Elect Donald J. Trump announced his nomination of Chris Wright as the United States Secretary of Energy and as a Member of the newly formed Council of National Energy.
Chris Wright is a leading technologist and entrepreneur with extensive experience in energy sectors including nuclear, solar, geothermal, and oil and gas. Most notably, he was one of the pioneers of the American Shale Revolution, which was instrumental in achieving U.S. energy independence and transforming global energy markets and geopolitics.
The newly formed Council of National Energy will include all departments and agencies involved in the permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation, and transportation of all forms of American energy. This council is tasked with overseeing the path to U.S. energy dominance by reducing bureaucratic red tape, enhancing private sector investments across the economy, and prioritizing innovation over outdated and unnecessary regulations.
President-Elect Trump emphasized the partnership between Chris Wright and Doug Burgum, the Council Chairman and Secretary of the Interior designate. This team will lead the efforts to achieve U.S. energy dominance, which will help reduce inflation, ensure America wins the AI arms race against China and other nations, and expand U.S. diplomatic power to foster peace worldwide.
In his role as Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright will be a key leader driving innovation, streamlining regulations, and ushering in what President-Elect Trump called a “Golden Age of American Prosperity and Global Peace.”
Chris Wright Biography:
Chris Wright describes himself as a “tech nerd turned entrepreneur” and is the founder, CEO, and Chairman of the Board of Liberty Energy (NYSE: LBRT). He is deeply passionate about bringing the benefits of energy to communities worldwide and has built a career working across oil and gas, nuclear, solar, and geothermal energy sectors.
Wright’s contributions to the energy sector include founding Pinnacle Technologies, which created the hydraulic fracture mapping industry and enabled the commercial development of shale gas in the late 1990s. He also served as Chairman of Stroud Energy, an early shale gas producer, and founded Liberty Resources and Liberty Midstream Solutions, which he led until their sale in 2024.
In addition to his corporate roles, Wright serves on the boards of Urban Solutions Group, Oklo Inc. (NYSE: OKLO), and EMX Royalty Corp. (NYSE: EMX). He is actively involved in nonprofit work, sitting on the boards of ACE Scholarships and the Bettering Human Lives Foundation.
Wright is a vocal advocate for energy innovation, having spoken on the merits of the Shale Revolution to both the UK House of Lords and U.S. lawmakers. He gained public attention for his #ThankYouNorthFace campaign, which sparked discussions about the role of oil and gas in everyday life.
Wright earned his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from MIT and conducted graduate work in Electrical Engineering at UC Berkeley and MIT. He grew up and currently resides in Colorado with his wife, Liz, and is an avid skier, cyclist, climber, and outdoor enthusiast.
