Washington DC, November 17
United States President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday named CEO of Liberty Energy, Chris Wright as the secretary of the Department of Energy, CNN reported.
The CEO of a Denver-based fracking company will also serve as a member of the newly formed Council of National Energy. Trump said that the council will consist of all agencies involved in the "permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation, transportation" of energy.
"Chris has been a leading technologist and entrepreneur in Energy. He has worked in Nuclear, Solar, Geothermal, and Oil and Gas. 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," Trump wrote in a statement Saturday, according to CNN.
Wright also serves on the board of a modular nuclear reactor company.
Since Biden's administration, the US has focused on developing nuclear energy and with the appointment of Wright, Trump takes another step toward achieving the US's energy dominance.
The United States Department of Energy manages the country's energy policy and production. It also focuses on the production of nuclear weapons and promotes scientific research.
Wright has been a supporter of fossil fuels and said that they are necessary to fight against poverty. He has expressed doubts over fossil fuels' contribution in climate change, CNN reported.
Earlier on Friday, Trump announced the name of Karoline Leavitt as the latest addition to his cabinet to serve as the White House Press Secretary.
Leavitt, who previously held the role of National Press Secretary for Trump's 2024 US Presidential campaign, was also part of the Trump administration as the Assistant Press Secretary of the White House during his first tenure.
Earlier, he selected his campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, as White House communications director as well as named Sergio Gor to lead the Presidential Personnel Office.
Earlier on Thursday, former Georgia Congressman Doug Collins was nominated by Trump for the next US Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Trump also announced the name of Robert F Kennedy Jr. as the next US Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Additionally this week, he announced Tesla CEO Elon Musk, along with Indian-origin entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Trump nominated former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), William Joseph McGinley as White House Counsel, former New York Congressman Lee Zeldin as Administrator of the United States Environmental Protective Agency (EPA), and Pete Hegseth as the Secretary of Defense.
Donald Trump won a second term as President of the United States after securing 295 electoral votes in the 2024 presidential election, defeating Democratic rival Kamala Harris, who garnered 226 votes. Following his victory, President-elect Donald Trump has moved swiftly with finalising his foreign policy and national security team ahead of his formal inauguration in January 2025.