Fracking CEO Chris Wright is on track to be the nation’s next energy secretary despite a few tense moments during his confirmation hearing.

The tension largely centered around climate change. Wright acknowledges that the planet is warming, but has downplayed the phenomenon’s connection to extreme weather.

Nevertheless, even some Democrats expressed support for his nomination, including Sen. John Hickenlooper (Colo), who introduced Wright at the start of the hearing.

“He’s a scientist who has invested his life around energy. He is indeed an unrestrained enthusiast for fossil fuels in almost every regard, but he studied nuclear,” Hickenlooper said. “His first years of working were in solar. He has experience in wind. He is a practitioner and a key innovator around geothermal.”

“I have high optimism we can work together,” Hickenlooper added.

Wright is the CEO of Liberty Energy, a fracking technology company. He’s poised to run the Energy Department, which oversees energy research and loans, as well as the nation’s nuclear........

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