Chris Wright Approved as Secretary of Energy
Wright received bipartisan support to serve in President Donald Trump's Cabinet.
Over the weekend, President Donald Trump and the world’s richest man Elon Musk unilaterally (and illegally) moved to shut down the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Nevertheless, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm another one of Trump’s Cabinet nominees today. Congressional Republicans have largely been in step with the executive branch despite this being a complete abdication of their authority to fund the government and set levels for all independent agencies.
In a 59-38 vote, Chris Wright was confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Energy. The position has been led by an acting official since Trump was inaugurated on January 20. Previously, Jennifer Granholm served in the Cabinet role from February 2021 to January 2025.
51 Republicans, 7 Democrats and 1 Independent approved Wright’s nomination. 37 Democrats and 1 Independent voted in opposition. Senators John Fetterman (D-PA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) did not vote.
Wright was nominated to this position by Trump in November 2024. Since 2011, he has been the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Energy, a hydraulic fracturing company with at least a $2.8 billion evaluation.
Wright has spent his entire professional career in the oil and gas industry. In 1992, he founded Pinnacle Technologies, a company involved in commercial shale gas production through fracking, and served as its CEO until 2006. Finally, he has been on the Board of Directors at Oslo Inc., a company that designs small fast-neutron reactors, and EMX Royalty, a royalty payment company for mineral and mining rights.