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What might Chris Wright's nomination mean for fusion energy?
Looking into clues from his confirmation hearing and professional career.
Last week, Chris Wright appeared before the Senate for his confirmation hearing as the nominee for Energy Secretary.
His background and responses during the confirmation hearing shed light on how he might shape U.S. energy policy—and what his leadership could mean for fusion research and startups.
Academic & Professional Background
Wright has a technical background, with an undergrad in Mechanical Engineering and graduate work in Electrical Engineering at Berkeley and MIT.
“I enrolled at MIT specifically to work on fusion energy.”
His professional career is anchored in his role as the founder and CEO of Liberty Energy, an oilfield services company perhaps best known for developing hydraulic fracturing (fracking) technology. Wright has been a vocal critic of federal regulations on energy production and has donated tens of thousands to Republican candidates.
“Federal policies today make it too easy to stop projects and very hard to start and complete projects. This makes energy more expensive and less reliable.”
Most notably for fusion startups, Wright has demonstrated a willingness to invest in experimental energy. He serves on the board of Oklo Inc., a company working on small modular reactors, and has invested in sodium-ion battery startup Natron Energy.
However, Wright isn’t necessarily an advocate for renewables. He is on record criticizing wind and solar, calling out the “slave-labor staffed” polysilicate fabrication factories and the poor conditions in mines where raw materials are mined for batteries.
He has also denied the connection between climate change and extreme weather events (though it’s worth noting that he does not deny anthropogenic climate change), a stance in contrast to the scientific consensus.
Key Takeaways from the Confirmation Hearing
During the hearing, Wright repeatedly emphasized his commitment to supporting U.S. national labs and the primary research they carry out.
“Our labs have been pioneers in energy innovation across the spectrum. Very important for me is to keep the labs focused and energized to work on science. Basic fundamental science, but also science that will someday, and maybe someday soon, have energy applications. Our labs have a proud track record there, and I want to champion that.”
It’s worth pointing out that these national labs employ tens of thousands of employees across states represented by senators who serve on the Energy & Natural Resources committee. Enthusiastic support for the labs may well be a prerequisite to secure the committee’s backing for his nomination.
Throughout the hearing, Wright focused on the importance of readily available energy sources that could lower prices in the near term—namely, oil, gas, and nuclear fission. That said, it was also refreshing to hear Wright’s optimism around timelines for developing fusion energy.
“It’s [fusion energy] moved very rapidly. The last decade has seen more progress than in my lifetime. I’d love to see that come to commercial power in the next decade.”
Wright also appeared to support the dissemination of foundational research from national labs to the private sector. When Senator Padilla asked if he’d commit to publishing non-classified research from the labs, Wright responded, “absolutely.” Open access to research could benefit fusion startups, providing technical insight that could accelerate the path to commercialization.
However, a potential chilling effect on the fusion industry emerged during the hearing when Senator Cotton raised concerns about scientific collaboration with academics from geopolitical adversaries such as China and Russia.
Wright took a cautious but non-committal stance in his answer:
“[I’ll be] working with the team [at the national labs] and across the administration to find solutions to this critical problem.”
Overall, Wright’s academic and entrepreneurial experience gives him an informed perspective on the energy sector, and his focus on leveraging national labs and fostering public-private partnerships could help fusion research find commercial applications.
However, his emphasis on technologies that could increase energy supplies and drive down prices in the immediate term (fission, oil, gas, coal) may mean that funding for fusion research takes a back seat.
And of course, the biggest wild card: how Wright’s vision aligns with the broader economic and policy priorities of the incoming Trump administration.