Chris Wright’s First 19 Days as Energy Secretary
Chris Wright was confirmed as U.S. Energy Secretary on February 3, 2025, with a 59-38 Senate vote, and sworn in the same day. A former fracking CEO, he’s wasted no time pushing Trump’s “energy dominance” agenda. Here’s what he’s done by February 22, 2025.
On February 5, 2025, Wright signed the Secretarial Order “Unleashing the Golden Era of American Energy Dominance.” It directs the Department of Energy to:
- Review and revise regulations to boost fossil fuels and nuclear power.
- Prioritize energy security, reliability, and affordability.
- Cut bureaucracy and promote public-private partnerships.
- Deploy next-generation nuclear tech rapidly.
- Review DOE R&D programs.
- Speed up energy permitting.
- Strengthen the grid.
- Expand nuclear capacity.
- Refill strategic oil stockpiles.
On February 6, 2025, he appointed senior staff to execute this vision. On February 17, 2025, at the ARC conference, he backed coal, oil, and gas, calling net-zero targets “sinister” and climate action a power grab.
Wright’s focus is fossil fuels and nuclear over climate goals, aligning with Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” stance. His order, issued just two days after confirmation, signals a swift pivot from Biden-era policies.
Sources: DOE statements, TIME, Reuters, World Nuclear News, DeSmog, CPR.