In response to the news that President-elect Donald Trump has nominated fossil fuel executive Chris Wright as Secretary of Energy, Evergreen Action Executive Director Lena Moffitt released the following statement:

“Donald Trump’s nomination of Chris Wright—a top donor and fossil fuel executive who denies the climate crisis—to lead the Department of Energy reveals his true priorities. Instead of delivering for American families, Trump is focused on rewarding his wealthy backers. As CEO of Liberty Energy, Wright has dismissed net-zero goals as ‘neither achievable nor humane’ and shown that his loyalty lies with fossil fuel interests. Yet, he would be tasked with overseeing billions in clean energy investments that are critical to lowering costs and creating jobs nationwide. This nomination is a clear indication that Trump is more interested in helping his political allies than tackling the real challenges facing everyday Americans.

“Trump’s energy agenda is built on broken promises and giveaways to oil and gas executives. He claims he’ll slash energy costs in half within 12 months of taking office, but his policies would do the opposite. Not only has he repeatedly vowed to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act and claw back critical investments that are helping lower energy costs for families across the country, but experts have found that his policies would raise household energy costs by $32 billion annually by 2030. Chris Wright’s nomination makes it clear: Trump isn’t fighting for affordable energy or economic relief—he’s looking out for his donors at the expense of American families.”

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