Climate
Trump's energy secretary nominee faces questions over climate posts and LA fires

January 16, 2025 5:08 AM ET
By Julia Simon

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Here's what happened at the hearing

Wright is a fossil fuel executive, and at the confirmation hearing, he pledged to support all forms of "reliable" energy – including solar, wind, nuclear and geothermal. ... But Wright's past social media posts drew controversy. In a 2023 Linkedin post he wrote, "The hype over wildfires is just hype to justify more impoverishment from bad government policies."

Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California questioned Wright specifically over this post, referring to the Los Angeles fires. Padilla is from Los Angeles. "Given the devastation that we're currently experiencing in Los Angeles, do you still believe that wildfires are just hype?" Padilla asked. ... Wright said he has watched the fires with "sorrow and fear" and added when pressed by Padilla, "I stand by my past comment."

A recent analysis by scientists at UCLA found that climate change made the region's vegetation roughly 25 percent drier prior to the fires, boosting the chances of intense, fast moving blazes.

Climate change and the Los Angeles fires

While the senators' questioning was mostly cordial, at least half a dozen climate activists spoke out during the hearings.

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