Trump taps oil executive Chris Wright as energy secretary

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday selected Chris Wright, the CEO of an oilfield services company, as his pick for the next secretary of the Energy Department.

Wright is CEO of Liberty Energy, a Denver-based company that provides hydraulic fracturing services to the oil and gas industry.

The prominent Republican fundraiser has previously questioned the link between climate change and extreme weather events. He has also actively supported policies that promote the fossil fuel industry and energy independence.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that Wright will also be joining his administration as a member of the newly formed National Energy Council, which will "oversee the path to U.S. energy dominance by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the economy, and by focusing on innovation over longstanding, but totally unnecessary, regulation."

Earlier this week, Trump announced his intention to appoint North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum to serve as both interior secretary and chairman of the Council of National Energy, a newly created role designed to orchestrate the administration's sweeping plans to repeal climate rules, scrap clean-energy subsidies, and boost oil and gas production nationwide, according to a report by The Washington Post.

After winning the presidential election on Nov. 6, Trump is quickly announcing his intended cabinet nominations.

With the Republican Party gaining a majority in the Senate and presidential appointments typically requiring only a simple majority of 51 votes for confirmation, Trump faces few obstacles in advancing his cabinet choices.