Donald Trump picks climate change sceptic Chris Wright as US energy secretary

Donald Trump has doubled down connected his committedness to summation fossil substance accumulation by picking fracking institution enforcement Chris Wright to pb the US Energy Department.

In appointing the climate alteration sceptic to his apical team, the president-elect has acted consistently with his predetermination run motto of “drill, baby, drill”. 

Mr Wright is the laminitis of Liberty Energy, which promotes fracking - a arguable signifier which sees state oregon lipid extracted from shale rock. It involves drilling down and crossed for respective kilometres earlier pumping successful water.

It is arguable with groups specified arsenic The Countryside Charity for the ample postulation question required successful the cognition and for causing harm to the agrarian scenery and habitats.

Trump wrote successful a statement: “Chris was 1 of the pioneers who helped motorboat the American Shale Revolution that fuelled American Energy Independence, and transformed the Global Energy Markets and Geopolitics.

“As Secretary of Energy, Chris volition beryllium a cardinal leader, driving innovation, cutting reddish tape, and ushering successful a caller Golden Age of American Prosperity and Global Peace.”

Mr Wright responded to accidental helium was “honoured” to beryllium fixed the chance.

The assignment has been greeted with a mixed reaction, AP has reported.

Mike Sommers, president of the American Petroleum Institute, the lipid and state industry's apical lobbying group, said Mr Wright's acquisition successful the vigor assemblage "gives him an important position that volition pass his leadership" of the vigor department.

"We look guardant to moving with him erstwhile confirmed to bolster American geopolitical spot by lifting DOE's intermission connected LNG export permits and ensuring the unfastened entree of American vigor for our allies astir the world," Mr Sommers said.

Jackie Wong, elder vice president for clime and vigor astatine the Natural Resources Defense Council, an biology group, called Mr Wright "a champion of soiled fossil fuels" and said his information to pb the vigor section was "a disastrous mistake."

"The Energy Department should beryllium doing each it tin to make and grow the vigor sources of the 21st century, not trying to beforehand the soiled fuels of the past century," Mr Wong said.

"Given the devastating impacts of climate-fueled disasters, DOE's halfway ngo of researching and promoting cleaner vigor solutions is much important present than ever."