▶ 0:18:41Chair Lee: Good morning. Welcome to the very first hearing of the senate energy and natural resources committee during the 119th congress. Really is a privilege to serve in his capacity -- this capacity as chairman in this moment in history particularly as it relates to our nation's energy policies. Mr. wright, thank you for joining us. Joining us no less on your birthday.
▶ 0:19:10Chair Lee: You don't turn 30 twice in a lifetime, but we can count today as your second 30th birthday if you prefer. I see that you are here with family. Really enjoyed meeting each of them. Look forward to hearing you introduce them in a moment when we hear from you. Your nomination could not come at a more important time.
▶ 0:19:34Chair Lee: Over the past four years, americans have suffered under policies that made life more difficult, uncertain, and expensive. Energy prices have soared, driving up the cost of not only energy itself, but everything around it, everything from housing to health care, from gas to groceries, and as a result, families have struggled to make ends meet. To make ends meet.
▶ 0:20:01Chair Lee: As it turns out, you need energy to do everything and when the cost of energy goes up, the cost of everything else does too.the biden administration has complete failed to recognize the fundamental role energy plays in our lives and the devastating consequences of the excessive and unwise government intervention. The cost of goods to the strength of national defense.
▶ 0:20:28Chair Lee: Affordable and reliable energy is the backbone of our economy and even our way of life. America is of course blessed with an abundant supply of natural resources. We are blessed with oil and gas, coal, even with nuclear and the ingenuity behind that, geothermal, hydropower, wind, and solar. It is our responsibility to figure out how to harness these things safely come portably, and effectively.
▶ 0:20:58Chair Lee: Unfortunately, the biden administration has done the exact opposite of those things. On his very first day in office, president biden halted new oil and natural gas leases on public lands and waters, effectively cutting off access to resources that could have covered our economy and benefited the lives of ordinary americans. Over the past four years, the same administration dismantle domestic energy production, canceled leases the weaponized regulations to discourage investment in pipelines and critical energy infrastructure.
▶ 0:21:26Chair Lee: Instead of unleashing american energy, this administration has instead decided to reduce our access to energy, and they have reduced many of the tools within the department of energy for a political tool for advancing extreme climate policies that prioritize ideology over innovation, security, and affordability.
▶ 0:21:54Chair Lee: These failures have caused devastating harm, skyrocketing energy prices don't just hit consumers at the pump. They raise the cost of manufacturing transportation, and everything in between. The strategic petroleum reserve has been recklessly drained to historic lows.
▶ 0:22:15Chair Lee: His policies have eroded our energy as a country, making us dangerously and unwisely reliant on foreign countries, including adversarial nations. This is why today's hearing is so important to get the department of energy's responsibly is our vast. Maintaining our nuclear stockpile, fostering innovation from research and development, and ensuring affordable and reliable energy for the people. If confirmed, Mr.
▶ 0:22:40Chair Lee: Wright, you will lead an agency with the potential to transform our energy future for the better. Your track record is the founder and leader of liberty energy speaks volumes about your qualifications and about the expertise and know-how that you bring to the job. You understand the energy sector and the many challenges it faces, including and especially those from the government.
▶ 0:23:04Chair Lee: I am eager to hear your plans for refocusing the department of energy on what ought to be its core mission, ensuring energy security, driving innovation, and lowering costs for american families. American energy security is american national security. You cannot separate them. They are in it to complete intertwined.
▶ 0:23:24Chair Lee: Producing more energy at home is a national imperative, and I look forward to working with you and your colleagues and the people you will work with at the department of energy as well as my colleagues on this committee to ensure the department of energy returns to its founding and all-important purpose. Mr. wright, the challenges you will face as secretary of energy are significant, but so is the opportunity to restore america's standing as an energy superpower.
▶ 0:23:54Chair Lee: I looking forward to the beginning of a collaborative effort to start a new course for our nation's energy policy. Thank you for your willingness to serve, and I look forward to today's discussion. We will hear now from our ranking member, senator heinrich.
▶ 0:24:09Sen. Heinrich: Thank you, chairman lee. I want to welcome the new members of this committee as well as returning members, and happy birthday, Mr. wright. It is a daughter to address you as the newly appointed ranking member of this committee, and I am honored to represent a state whose economy and whose identity are really so deeply connected to dle's mission -- doe's mission.
▶ 0:24:36Sen. Heinrich: We have among the state's largest offering stable mission driven jobs to nearly 30,000 people. In 2023, their combined economic impact on my state reached nearly $9 billion, and these investments have fueled research, development, and scientific progress, driving global advancements in fields such as nuclear science, cybersecurity, clean energy, and material science.
▶ 0:25:04Sen. Heinrich: Before continuing my remarks, I must express my disappointment that the chair has decided to move forward with this hearing over my objection. Given the fact that, Mr. wright, your ethics and financial materials arrived yesterday after business hours.
▶ 0:25:29Sen. Heinrich: I appreciate your responsiveness to my questions, your willingness to meet with me, but I don't think it is too much to ask that members of this committee get 24 hour to review those documents. Mr. wright, it is unfortunate that our first order of business involved breaking committee presidents presiprecedents. Nevertheless, we will go on today.
▶ 0:25:56Sen. Heinrich: Some secretaries in the past have been surprised to learn that roughly half of doe's budget supports the nation's nuclear security enterprise through the national nuclear security administration and the cleanup of legacy nuclear waste from weapons produced during the cold war through the office of environmental management.
▶ 0:26:16Sen. Heinrich: Although only a fraction of its budget goes to energy research, doe is still the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences, not just through the office of science but also through the title 17 clean energy financing program and the advanced research projects agency.
▶ 0:26:35Sen. Heinrich: The secretary of energy must recognize the importance of doe 's research and develop programs at the national labs and not just for energy production but also for efficient energy use, national security, cybersecurity, climate change, and maintaining our position of leadership in the world. The secretary of energy must also adopt to a rapidly evolving energy landscape driven by three empirical trends.
▶ 0:27:03Sen. Heinrich: First, electricity demand is growing for the first time in decades. Advances in generative artificial intelligence technologies and investments in manufacturing and data centers are driving up electricity demand. In fact, nationwide, electric demand is expected to grow by 15% in just the next five years. Second, distributed renewable energy is getting cheaper.
▶ 0:27:29Sen. Heinrich: The deployment of renewable energy continues to accelerate exponentially, not in a linear fashion, ed consistently outpaces predictions year over year. The pace of this deployment is driving down energy costs giving americans more energy freedom to choose how they want to heat or cool their homes or fuel their cars and trucks. Third, clean energy is driving economic growth.
▶ 0:27:54Sen. Heinrich: According to the international energy agency, clean energy accounted for 10% of global gdp growth in 2023. If confirmed, Mr. wright, you will inherit a department that has received historic levels of investment to fund programs and policies that are literally transforming the U.S. economy.
▶ 0:28:15Sen. Heinrich: These programs and policies were authorized by landmark legislation, including the energy act of 2020, the chips and science act, the infrastructure investment and jobs act, and the inflation reduction act. And those investments are paying off.
▶ 0:28:30Sen. Heinrich: Two years after chips and science, companies have announced more than $395 billion of investments in semiconductors and electronics in the creation of over 115,000 jobs primarily in manufacturing. Two years after passage of the inflation reduction act of a businesses including battery manufacturers and auto companies have announced $493 billion of investments.
▶ 0:28:58Sen. Heinrich: A 71% increase from the two-year period preceding that legislation. And three years after the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure law, the administration announced $568 billion in projects for over 66,000 projects across our country.
▶ 0:29:19Sen. Heinrich: These landmark laws give the secretary of energy new resources and authorities to implement programs and policies that will unlock hundreds of gigawatts worth of solar, wind, and grid battery projects that have been stuck in interconnection cues across the country. This hearing will provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate to the committee that you will implement congress's vision of energy abundance and enforce and uphold the laws of the land. I look forward to this discussion.
▶ 0:29:50Chair Lee: Thank you, senator heinrich. To be clear, we did follow the rules of the committee. They did not arrive after business hours. They arrived at 5:40 p.m. The office is open until 6:00 p.m. Those came during business hours. We will now hear from senator hickenlooper, who will be reducing Mr. wright, soon to be secretary wright.
▶ 0:30:17Sen. Hickenlooper: Thank you you, Mr. chair, ranking member heinrich. I am here today to introduce Mr. wright before the energy and natural resources committee. A fellow coloradan on his birthday, someone I have known for a number of years. I first met chris at a fund-raising effort for scholarships for needy kids. We shared the fact that we both married way over our heads. His wife liz is behind him.
▶ 0:30:45Sen. Hickenlooper: Like my wife robin, farr outshines him in many regards. Chris will not be surprised to hear me say we disagree on a lot of things. We are almost legendary, probably 12 or 13 years ago at a fancy easter dinner in the blue of the day forgetting rather he did over some of the issues around energy, and I think what was interesting, my wife was very worried about our hosts and being invited back whereas I
▶ 0:31:16Sen. Hickenlooper: Don't think chris and I took any offense at all. And I think that some people would be surprised that I am introducing him here and yet he is a scientist who has invested his life around energy. And he is indeed an unrestrained enthusiast for fossil fuels in almost every regard, but he studied nuclear.
▶ 0:31:41Sen. Hickenlooper: Started out in colorado to be perfectly clear but ended up at m.I.t. One of my associates has got to that hunted -- studied nuclear there in detail, got a masters. His first years working were in solar. He has experienced in wind that she has experienced -- he has experience in wind.
▶ 0:32:11Sen. Hickenlooper: He is knowledgeable on the potential in geothermal. He is a scientist who is open to discussion. And he is again a scientist who is a successful entrepreneur and has that ability to assess what is possible and what isn't.
▶ 0:32:31Sen. Hickenlooper: Again, I am well known for the last 40 years were read and looking to address climate change, an item worried about the acceleration of the feedback loops that could make what we saw in los angeles over the past couple weeks a gram foreshadowing of other events that could come.
▶ 0:32:57Sen. Hickenlooper: But I think that what we are looking at now is the need for a comprehensive approach to energy in every regard. Chris spent a lot of time looking at poverty not just in this country but around the world and how energy affects that, how it affects the health of people from different countries.
▶ 0:33:20Sen. Hickenlooper: He is fully versed on the assessments we have made both on this committee and as a congress the past couple years to make investments around energy. And he respects that. And I think as we go forward, I look forward to continuing the robust discussions. And I am not going to hold back. And I know that he won't hold back either.
▶ 0:33:46Sen. Hickenlooper: I think that is part of the key of a democracy, to be able to sit down and really thrash out your beliefs and what the facts are and be able to measure them. I think we both learned and evolved over the years on a number of issues, and I have high optimism we can work together. I look forward to figuring out what are the best ways and the fastest ways we can address the climate challenge we face.
▶ 0:34:11Sen. Hickenlooper: So chris, thank you for this public service, and I look forward to the discussion.
▶ 0:34:17Chair Lee: We will hear next from senator hoeven.
▶ 0:34:22Sen. Hoeven: Thank you, chairman lee and ranking member heinrich. Welcome. Welcome to you, chris, and your family. It is great to meet all of you. I think it is fantastic you are here. It is very important you are here. That was obvious right away when we gave you the huge hug. Moral support is unbelievable you having your mother -- unbelievable.
▶ 0:34:51Sen. Hoeven: Having your mother here on your 60th birthday, it is never getting used to senate hearings so that is great. I am really pleased to follow up senator hickenlooper. I have great respect for him. Your home state senator is a trained geologist. Nose energy and has held me on a lot of things and am very pleased to join you in this introduction.
▶ 0:35:16Sen. Hoeven: And really, it is appropriate because you live in colorado but an awful lot of your work has been done in my state of north dakota, and you had a huge impact. When I started as governor in north dakota in 2001, we produced less than 100,000 barrels of oil, and it was going down. It was going down because we were drilling 14,000 foot vertical wells that were more cost-effective place to do it. I started a policy called empower north dakota.
▶ 0:35:46Sen. Hoeven: It was not just about producing oil and gas. It was about producing energy from all sources. We do in north dakota now. We are a powerhouse in energy and you know it well, but it came from creating the right climate, the right legal, tax, and regulatory climate, and it came down to getting entrepreneurs, great thinkers, people who are smart, well-trained, and motivated, people who have got to places like m.I.t.
▶ 0:36:12Sen. Hoeven: And berkeley and had the latest and greatest understanding of technologies on all kinds of things. People who would create companies like pinnacle technologies that started the hydraulic fracture mapping industry so folks can figure out where the energy was, and the folks that shared companies like stroud energy and then started their own companies like liberty energy to actually do it, to unlock this energy potential
▶ 0:36:42Sen. Hoeven: Here and do it with the best environmental stewardship, the smallest footprint, right? As a result of folks like that, north dakota went from less than 100,000 barrels of oil going down to 1.5 million barrels a day. 1.5 million barrels of oil. Not to mention all the natural gas with the best environmental stewardship in the world. And the reality is you are that entrepreneur I am talking about right now. You and others.
▶ 0:37:11Sen. Hoeven: If we really want all the above, we need guys like you, chris, that really understand energy. All aspects of energy. Whether it is as one of my favorite presidents used to say, nuclear energy or oil and gas or anything else. You have that incredible knowledge and understanding and capability to drive this technology to truly make us energy dominant. That is what we need to focus on.
▶ 0:37:40Sen. Hoeven: Regardless of what kind of energy you may or may not favor, to truly have all the above, we need to continue to drive that technological. I cannot think of anyone better able to do that based on your training, your education, your interest, your accomplishments, and your experience. I am just pleased that you and your family are willing to stand up and serve. Thank you so much for being here today. Appreciate it.
▶ 0:38:11Sen. Hoeven: Thank you, Mr. chair.
▶ 0:38:12Chair Lee: Thank you so much. Mr. wright, we are now going to swear you in. If you will stand, I will administer the oath. Do you solemnly swear the testimony you are about to give to the senate committee on energy and natural resources will be the truth of the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
▶ 0:38:34Mr. Wright: I do.
▶ 0:38:36Chair Lee: Thank you. Now, I will now ask you three questions before you turn to your opening statement, the three questions we ask to each nominee before this committee. Will you be available to appear before the committee and other congressional committees to represent department positions and respond to issues of concern to congress?
▶ 0:38:58Mr. Wright: I will.
▶ 0:39:00Chair Lee: Are you aware of any personal holdings, investments, or interests that could constitute a conflict of interest or create the appearance of such a conflict should you be confirmed and assume the office to which you have been nominated by the president?
▶ 0:39:14Mr. Wright: I am not.
▶ 0:39:15Chair Lee: Are you involved or have any assets held in a blind trust?
▶ 0:39:20Mr. Wright: I do not.
▶ 0:39:21Chair Lee: Thank you. Now, you may proceed with your opening statement. Thank you.
▶ 0:39:28Mr. Wright: Thank you, Mr. chairman, ranking member heinrich, and members of the committee. Thank you also to senator hickenlooper and senator hoeven for your kind remarks, friendship, and for your continued service to our centennial state and great nation. Before I begin my remarks, I would like to recognize the numbers of my family joined me today.
▶ 0:39:52Mr. Wright: My wife liz, my daughter skyler, her husband greg, my seven month old grandson miles, my son arthur, his fiancee. Also in the crowd not needing identification is my mother, sister kim, many other extended family, and friends as well. The most fortunate event in my very fortunate life was meeting my wife liz when I was 18 years old.
▶ 0:40:23Mr. Wright: I came home that night and told my sister that I had met the woman that I would marry. It is truly an honor to appear before this committee as president-elect trump's nominee for secretary of energy. I am humbled by the great responsibility this position holds.
▶ 0:40:41Mr. Wright: America has a historic opportunity to secure our energy systems, deliver leadership and scientific and technological innovation, steward our weapon stockpiles, and meet cold war legacy waste commitments. I call myself a science geek turned tech nerd turned lifelong energy entrepreneur. My fascination with energy started at a young age in denver, colorado.
▶ 0:41:11Mr. Wright: I enrolled at m.I.t. Specifically to work on fusion energy. I started graduate school at uc berkeley where I worked on solar energy as well as power electronics. Energy is the essential agent of change that enables everything that we do. Everything. A low-energy society is poor. A highly energized society can bring health mobile, and opportunity for all -- health, wealth, and opportunity for all.
▶ 0:41:43Mr. Wright: The company I found it is to better human lives through energy. Liberty works directly in oil, natural gas, next-generation geothermal, and has partnerships in next-generation nuclear energy and new battery technology. Energy has been a lifelong passion of mine.
▶ 0:42:13Mr. Wright: Energy has been a lifelong passion of mine. And I have never been shy about that fact. Then again, I have never been shy about much. President trump shares my passion for energy. And if confirmed, I will work tirelessly to implement his bold agenda as an unabashed steward for all sources of affordable, reliable, and secure american energy. I see three immediate tasks or I will focus my attention if I get the privilege of being confirmed.
▶ 0:42:45Mr. Wright: The first is to unleash american energy at home and abroad to restore our energy dominance. The security of our nation begins with energy. Previous administrations have viewed energy as a liability instead of the immense national asset that it is. To compete globally, we must expand energy production, including commercial nuclear and liquefied natural gas and cut the cost of energy for americans.
▶ 0:43:12Mr. Wright: Second, we must lead the world of innovation and technology breakthroughs. Throughout my lifetime, technology and innovation have immeasurably enhanced the human condition. We must protect and accelerate the work of the department's national laboratory network to secure america's competitive advantage and insecurity. I commit to working with congress on the important missions of the national laboratories.
▶ 0:43:42Mr. Wright: Third, we must build things in america again and remove barriers to progress. 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.
▶ 0:43:59Mr. Wright: President trump is committed to lowering energy costs, and to do so, we must prioritize cutting red tape enabling the private sector investments, and building the infrastructure we need to make energy more affordable for families and businesses. I have met with almost every member of the committee, and I appreciate the perspective, priorities, and insight you have shared. As a nerdy guy who reads and studies data, I will need the guidance and partnership of this committee.
▶ 0:44:30Mr. Wright: I feel confident we can work together to make a difference. I look forward to answering your questions, and if confirmed, shall bring the president's bold energy agenda to unleash energy security. Thank you for the opportunity to be here today. I look forward to answering the committee's questions.
▶ 0:44:49Chair Lee: Thank you very much, Mr. wright. We will now proceed to five but it rounds of democrats and republicans alternating in seniority and order of arrival. We will begin those right now. Mr. wright, liberty energy's bettering human lives report is something I find an informative document. I have a copy of it right here.
▶ 0:45:11Chair Lee: It is something that brings what I regard as a pretty clearheaded perspective to the climate change dialogue, which I think has been sorely missing in our discussion in many of these issues. As with anything that we do and basically everything that we build, there are trade-offs.
▶ 0:45:30Chair Lee: In energy, there are trade-offs at the nexus of energy security, energy poverty, economic prosperity, upward mobility, and various environmental considerations. The U.S.
▶ 0:45:45Chair Lee: Department of energy can play a pivotal role, but unfortunately during the biden administration, we have seen many levers within our government especially the department of energy being used as part of the whole of government approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And doing this without considering the consequences of this kind of unbalanced approach.
▶ 0:46:13Chair Lee: The trade-offs that I mentioned are not really taken into consideration. It is one objective taken into account as part of a whole of government approach that has really harmed a lot of american families. So how in your view can and should the department focus on energy abundance? How will doing that help restore the balance that american energy policy has been lacking over the last four years?
▶ 0:46:39Mr. Wright: Thank you for the question, senator, and for the points you made. Yes, energy is hard, but it is critical for our civilization and the prosperity and security of our country. The apartment of energy -- I will start with just the magnificent 17 national labs. This launched during world war ii and were a key part of america winning that war and securing the postwar peace.
▶ 0:47:07Mr. Wright: 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 applications of energy. Our labs have a proud track record there and I want to champion that.
▶ 0:47:31Mr. Wright: The labs and the energy department as a whole work across the energy spectrum with reasonable involvement in virtually every meaningful energy source we have today. So my mission would be to inspire people in the department and in the labs and across the network to focus on what is most important for americans, which is growing the supply of affordable, reliable, secure american energy.
▶ 0:47:58Chair Lee: Growing the supply. That is a novel and very important concept to grasp, especially in a moment where american energy demand is growing, growing because of our growing population and growing because of the ways in which we use energy.
▶ 0:48:16Chair Lee: With the data centers and artificial intelligence making a dent and about to make a much bigger dent in what it is that we need to energize our economy, it is a very poor time indeed to be declining in terms of our energy production relative to anticipated demand. It sounds like you grasp that fully and are ready to take the challenge on.
▶ 0:48:39Mr. Wright: Yes, sir. I agree with you, senator, very much.
▶ 0:48:44Chair Lee: In a report that was released last month, the apartment of energy's inspector general raised several pretty serious concerns regarding potential conflicts of interest within the department of energy's loan programs office. Those include the troubling dual roles of subcontractors who may be advising the loan programs office and potential loan recipients at the same time.
▶ 0:49:09Chair Lee: The ig recommended that the issuance of new loans might be suspended, should perhaps be suspended until these potential conflicts are fully addressed and the safeguards necessary to correct them are implemented.
▶ 0:49:25Chair Lee: If confirmed, will you commit to following the inspector general's recommendation and suspend the issuance of new loans until the loan programs office complies with interest of regulations and contractual obligations?
▶ 0:49:42Mr. Wright: If I have the privilege of being confirmed, I will immediately engage in that issue. Nothing is more important than the integrity of the loan process, of following the rule of law. Without integrity, without fair processes, you lose confidence, undermine business's ability to invest, and where capital is deployed to. I am aware of that report and will dive into the issue immediately.
▶ 0:50:06Chair Lee: My five minutes of expired. We will hear now from senator heinrich.
▶ 0:50:11Sen. Heinrich: Thank you, Mr. chairman. Mr. wright, I will start with a real easy one. Will you commit to send -- to the labs in your first year?
▶ 0:50:23Mr. Wright: Thank you, senator. I will absolutely commit to visit those two prestigious and hallowed institutions and would love to coordinate with your staff and if at all possible we could visit together. I am a huge fan of those two institutions and look forward to walking their halls.
▶ 0:50:39Sen. Heinrich: I appreciate that very much. I would like you to talk a little bit about your divestment plans. You mentioned a lot of work in the energy space. And we had a conversation about the need to maintain not only the avoidance of conflict of interest, but also the avoidance of appearance of conflict of interest.
▶ 0:51:09Sen. Heinrich: Can you talk about your plans for divestment?
▶ 0:51:11Mr. Wright: I agree with all of that, senator. I have been a lifelong entrepreneur in the energy space. And of course, I have submitted my disclosures for all of my work and the appropriate ethics counselors within the federal government have --. >> people are dying, and people like you don't care.
▶ 0:51:36Mr. Wright: The appropriate ethics people have reviewed my ethics, my personal holdings, and other interests, and I have agreed to take all the appropriate action to avoid any real conflict or perceived conflict of interest. I am fully aligned with you there, senator.
▶ 0:51:52Sen. Heinrich: I appreciated your comments about the fidelity to the rule of law so I want to ask you a particular question. In part because the omb nominee has stated his support for using executive impoundment of funds passed by congress in order to achieve spending reductions. So I have a little bit of a two-part question for you.
▶ 0:52:19Sen. Heinrich: As secretary, if the omb director was to try to direct your department not to fund a program or an activity that congress had expressly appropriated funding for, would you follow the law?
▶ 0:52:33Mr. Wright: Thank you, senator. My mission, the only way I roll would be to follow the laws and statutes of the united states of america.
▶ 0:52:45Sen. Heinrich: With respect to permitting, this last congress, this committee actually advanced a comprehensive all of the above permitting bill by a vote of 15-4.
▶ 0:53:02Sen. Heinrich: That law was not signed into law because we have not reconciled with the house, but I want to ask you because included in that package were really important transmission reforms that would actually help us meet the growing demand we are seeing due to what is going on in artificial intelligence right now, the increased electrification of our economy, and an incredible bump in manufacturing we have seen in the last couple years.
▶ 0:53:29Sen. Heinrich: In your view, how important is it that transmission line permitting reform be included as part of any broader permitting reform that we may be able to achieve?
▶ 0:53:40Mr. Wright: Thanks for that question, senator, and thanks for the wonderful dialogue we had in your office. I appreciated that very much, and I know we have lots of overlaps, lots of common interests, lots of common concerns. We have had roughly a 100 year history in the united states of making electricity more affordable on inflation-adjusted terms and our grid more reliable. One of the engineering marvels of modern times. As we discussed, we have seen that trend reversed.
▶ 0:54:12Mr. Wright: In the last few years, we have seen electric city prices go up and the reliability of the grid go down. Both of us are very concerned about that, particularly as we are seeing future demand growth. And I agree with you entirely that being able to build new transmission lines to be able to repower existing transmission lines and grow their capacity and many other things are very important to meet this growing demand of energy and hopefully return to a trend of a decline
▶ 0:54:43Mr. Wright: In the real cost of electricity at a growth in the reliability. I am aligned with you there.
▶ 0:54:47Sen. Heinrich: I am actually wearing my dad's 60 year pin today because it reminds me of the importance of that grid. Doe's grid deployment office has supported a lot of really valuable projects the transmission facilitation program, including the south line transmission project in my home state. These projects will save customers money, and they increase grid reliability.
▶ 0:55:18Sen. Heinrich: Can you assure me at a time when things like project 2025 have proposed eliminating the grid deployment office that doe will continue to use its authorities and resources to support the kind of transmission projects that increase liability and save customers money?
▶ 0:55:39Mr. Wright: Senator, thank you for your dad's service in building our grid and maintaining it with a gorgeous track record all those years, and yes, I am aligned with you and will seek to find the best ways to improve our transmission grid, including expansion in new lines.
▶ 0:56:02Sen. Heinrich: Thank you.
▶ 0:56:03Chair Lee: Senator justice.
▶ 0:56:05Sen. Justice: Thank you, Mr. chairman, and thank you Mr. wright, chris, and thank you to all of his family. I mean, you being here is testimony to who you are, and that is really good stuff. Now I wish you a happy birthday, and I would like to tell everyone about me. I am a new kid on the block. That is for sure. I am not a politician. I am a business guy.
▶ 0:56:37Sen. Justice: And I am hung up on this. I am hung up on honor and truth and respect and reason and logic. And you will find that as we go forward with me. Today, I tell you just this. I come from west virginia. In west virginia, we truly no energy. That is all there is to it. I would tell you this and promise you this would be the case. Energy is everything.
▶ 0:57:09Sen. Justice: Everything. If we think less than that, we are thinking absolutely wrong. At the end of the day, every country of the world, the more energy they have, the healthier they are, the longer they live. Energy is every single everything. It is the key to inflation. It is the key to our defense. It is the dollars that fund the russian war with ukraine.
▶ 0:57:37Sen. Justice: It is every single thing, and absolutely we have to solve this. We have to have a real energy strategy. And we have to solve this. There have been many conversations with president trump. He absolutely believes exactly just this. So chris, in the days ahead, you will have a task beyond belief in my opinion.
▶ 0:58:04Sen. Justice: With all of that being said, I know you will carry on that task in a great way. Now, listen. From west virginia, you may think all we can think about is one thing and one thing alone. I would tell you just this. We need to embrace all the energy forms.
▶ 0:58:25Sen. Justice: But with that being said, the moment in time when you absolutely believe we can do without fossil fuels in this world today, you are living in a cave. You are absolutely living in a cave, in my opinion. We don't need to blow our legs off so china or india can dominate in so many different ways.
▶ 0:58:50Sen. Justice: Absolutely, today, we need to solve -- I would just tell you just this. I think that gentleman is misdirected in his thought. But with all that being said, I would always be respectful to that gentleman. And that is how we all ought to be.
▶ 0:59:20Sen. Justice: So with all that being said, I would say just this to chris. Chris, are you in a position of thinking of embracing all the energy forms, solving the whole riddle? And I will ask that question in that way. So please answer.
▶ 0:59:37Mr. Wright: Senator, thank you for your question and your impassioned remarks. We share a passion for energy. And the reason I sit in front of you today is because president-elect trump shares a passion for energy and an instinctual understanding that energy is not a sector of the economy but the sector of the economy that enables everything else we do. When I met him, he was just on fire about energy.
▶ 1:00:08Mr. Wright: He got how it impacts american quality of american economic strength, our geopolitical power, and what the possibilities are for the future, how we can make our children and grandchildren's lives so much better than ours. I agree with you 100%. Energy is core. It is essential. We want energy from all sources we can that can add to our pile of affordable, reliable, secure american energy.
▶ 1:00:36Sen. Justice: Chris, that pleases me. And I would just say just this, america has a big, big crisis right in front of it. If we don't solve this riddle, a year and a half from today we will have a crisis like you can't imagine. With all of that being said, we are sitting. We are sitting on the answer in america for america to be the footprint of the world. We have to do it. Mr. chairman, I thank you so much for allowing me to speak.
▶ 1:01:07Sen. Justice: And chris, I am positive you will be confirmed. God bless each and everyone of you for being here and your family, thank you so much.
▶ 1:01:16Mr. Wright: Thank you, senator.
▶ 1:01:18Chair Lee: Thank you, senator justice. Senator cortez masto.
▶ 1:01:22Sen. Cortez Masto: Thank you, Mr. chairman. I want to say I hope this committee continues into the next congress, and I am disappointed unfortunately right out of the gate we are creating controversy where it should not exist here. But I am hopeful the accommodating continues. Mr. wright, congratulations on your nomination. And thank you for your willingness to serve in this environment in the way it is today. I appreciate that.
▶ 1:01:52Sen. Cortez Masto: Welcome to your family and your wonderful mother being here as well. I appreciate that. Let me ask you a couple questions that are important for nevada. We talked about this in our meeting, and thank you for meeting with me, but can we count on you to make sure that the failed project is unworkable?
▶ 1:02:07Mr. Wright: Thank you for that question, senator. As we discussed, if you will build large infrastructure and nuclear waste disposal would certainly fall in that category that has concerns, you need to have onboard the local community as well. And I think nevadans as you express clearly have deep concerns about seeing the facility go ahead, and I think that is your answer.
▶ 1:02:33Sen. Cortez Masto: So president trump has said he does not support the waste at yucca mountains. Can the -- can nevadans count on you to make sure that the project is unworkable?
▶ 1:02:46Mr. Wright: I am new to politics as you can see, and you will see all that long today. I think that has been a clear record that nevadans oppose the project. I will work with you and with centers across the country to find solutions for long-term disposal of nuclear waste. And I agree with you that a central part of that is going to be local by and on the project.
▶ 1:03:13Sen. Cortez Masto: What is your understanding of doe's role in defense and national security today?
▶ 1:03:19Mr. Wright: It is essential. The nnsa as part of doe is the critical designer, maintainer, and builder through contractors of our nation's nuclear arsenal. This is the ultimate guarantor of our sovereignty. I take that responsibility very seriously. Together with the coming instabilities in our electrical grid, it is my single biggest concern in this job.
▶ 1:03:49Mr. Wright: We have lost our ability to enrich uranium in this country, to construct plutonium pits, and to do so many critical things key to our nuclear arsenal. I am highly motivated and highly concerned that we need to make progress on these safety and security of the stockpile of our nuclear weapons.
▶ 1:04:07Sen. Cortez Masto: So the department of energy provides essential programs and research across all corners of my state it is critical defense measures, our work for cybersecurity collaboration we have with universities and colleges in nevada, the public-private partnerships to create new innovative technologies is actually happening in nevada things to the legislation we have passed. Bipartisan legislation as well as the inflation reduction act and the infrastructure law.
▶ 1:04:38Sen. Cortez Masto: Let me ask you this. Would you pushback on any attempts by the trump administration to cut any of the critical programs?
▶ 1:04:45Mr. Wright: Senator, I appreciate your passion for them. It is too early for me to give any specifics about this program or that program. But is cybersecurity critical for our country? Absolutely.
▶ 1:04:58Sen. Cortez Masto: Let me be more specific because you talked about that when I ask you about the role of doe. You specifically talked about the national security site in nevada. Would you pushback on the trip administration if they try to cut any critical funding to the national security site?
▶ 1:05:13Mr. Wright: I will support to the extent I can all of our efforts in national security, including those that are in nevada.
▶ 1:05:21Sen. Cortez Masto: Let me ask you this. You talked about in your comments to some of my colleagues that you want to grow the supply of energy. Define for me the sources of energy that you would like to grow.
▶ 1:05:36Mr. Wright: All sources of affordable, reliable, secure energy.
▶ 1:05:40Sen. Cortez Masto: Which sources?
▶ 1:05:41Mr. Wright: It is different sources in different circumstances. Our economy today is underpinned by energy dominantly from oil and natural gas. Coal is a major source of energy in our country. Nuclear power is a major source of energy in our country. Hydropower is a major source of energy in our country. Wind and solar are growing rapidly. Geothermal particularly in states like nevada is early on but has just potential significant running room to become a meaningful source of energy in the future.
▶ 1:06:14Mr. Wright: And every source of energy that either today or with technology innovation can be a growth engine for affordable, reliable, secure energy, I am for all of that was.
▶ 1:06:24Sen. Cortez Masto: You did not mention solar. Solar is the number one energy source for us in nevada. It is growing over economy and has major impact so I am disappointed I did not hear solar coming out as part of the energy, but I assume that I will not assume anything. The conversation we had and will continue to have around energy is important and should be balanced. It is not just focused on fossil fuels.
▶ 1:06:51Sen. Cortez Masto: No matter what some of my colleagues say, there should be a balanced approach to it for our portfolio for energy, and that is what I'm looking for always.
▶ 1:06:59Mr. Wright: I agree entirely, senator. If I did nothing solar, it was an oversight. I worked in solar energy. You have to medicine resources for that and about and we are seeing a growth in that and I expect it to continue.
▶ 1:07:12Sen. Cortez Masto: Thank you.
▶ 1:07:13Chair Lee: Senator cassidy.
▶ 1:07:15Sen. Cassidy: Hey, Mr. wright. I like your emphasis on abundance. I had a chance to scan your bettering human lives for energy and you nailed it. You are speaking about abundance in terms of natural resources but the abundance in terms of increasing per capita gdp.
▶ 1:07:35Sen. Cassidy: And we do it in a way that we lower emissions as we increase gdp, and you look at a country like germany, and they have almost energy poverty in which we have lowered our emissions lower than they and our economy has grown more than they.
▶ 1:07:56Sen. Cassidy: I am also very interested because one thing I mentioned in our conversation, I have been very concerned about an off shoring of carbon emissions to countries like china but as we offshore, we offshore the job and the prosperity we are trying to build for working americans we lose to the chinese. They don't enforce their environmental regulations so that whatever blows over on us. We are trying to do it right and they use it for a competitive advantage.
▶ 1:08:28Sen. Cassidy: By the way, you allude to that and talk about how great britain has offshore their carbon intensity and reassured through the products they buy so it is an artificial depression in their carbon intensity. I think you bring sophistication to this argument, this discussion that we just need.
▶ 1:08:50Sen. Cassidy: One thing I have been supporting this a foreign pollution fee in which we look at the emissions profile of the U.S., you name it, concrete. Aluminum. We compare it to a competitor like china which does not enforce emissions, and we put a fee roughly equal to their avoided cost of not complying with internationally acceptable emission profile. Any thoughts on that?
▶ 1:09:18Sen. Cassidy: Because this is very consistent with the problems you point out in the bettering human lives for liberty initiative.
▶ 1:09:25Mr. Wright: Thank you for that question and for the great dialogue we had about all of these issues, energy, bettering lives, trade practices, prosperity for americans. I think yourself and I and president-elect trump are very aligned on all of that was. I think you have a creative idea about how we address some of these asymmetries that have developed.
▶ 1:09:49Mr. Wright: If you look at the data of economic growth in the united states versus manufacturing growth in the united states and economic output, they roughly track for a century and right after the year 2000 when china is admitted to the wto need to verge dramatically.
▶ 1:10:07Sen. Cassidy: Without was going down for the manufacturing and china's manufacturing going up but also their emission profile exploding at the same time.
▶ 1:10:15Mr. Wright: 100%. The united kingdom and germany and other european allies led with us and have got even further I think on this destructive habit of moving their energy intensive manufacturing out of their country.
▶ 1:10:29Sen. Cassidy: Taken that as a yes, you will support my foreign pollution fee. But anyway, one critical role of doe's to help calculate the embedded emissions. Some fear that thinking it will be some regulatory crackdown.
▶ 1:10:44Sen. Cassidy: I see it as a way to competitively -- to outcompete others because if theirs is here and ours is there, that helps our domestic manufacturers because there will be a higher fee placed upon the product coming from overseas. Did you follow what I'm saying?
▶ 1:11:04Mr. Wright: Yes, I am following you, senator.
▶ 1:11:07Sen. Cassidy: Doe has a pilot project currently calculating embedded emissions. Would you commit to continuing to support that program?
▶ 1:11:15Mr. Wright: Again, if I have the privilege to be confirmed, I will look into all of these efforts. >> I am 18 years old, and I want a future.
▶ 1:11:25Chair Lee: We will have to order restored. There will be no additional outbursts. The officer will remove this person from the room and we will continue with the hearing. We ask that the testimony be delayed until the room is cleared. Please proceed, Mr. wright.
▶ 1:11:43Sen. Cassidy: May I suggest the people protesting look at your monograph on building human lives because it shows emissions have come down in any way you want to measure it since 2000, since 1990. We are doing the job led in part by the things you and I talked about in the meeting. So going back, you will also be negotiating international energy partnerships through the office of international affairs and spoke about global leadership.
▶ 1:12:18Sen. Cassidy: You want to elaborate on that, please?
▶ 1:12:19Mr. Wright: Yes. As we discussed, energy is the enabler of everything we do. America going from 20 years ago the largest importer of oil in the world and the largest oil of natural gas in the world today the largest exporter of natural gas in the world, it almost -- world, enormous growth in our geopolitical leverage. We were almost able to fill the gap when russia invaded ukraine.
▶ 1:12:47Mr. Wright: Most of the replacement gas came from the united states. We could not have done that 20 years ago.
▶ 1:12:51Sen. Cassidy: Thank you, Mr. chairman. We began the five minutes talking but abundance for the american people and that we talk about abundance helping our allies. We are all about abundance.
▶ 1:13:01Chair Lee: Thank you. Senator hickenlooper.
▶ 1:13:04Sen. Hickenlooper: Thank you, Mr. chair. And thank you Mr. wright for being here. As we consider our energy future, we have so many challenges to deal with. Energy prices. Energy poverty, that you have written about. Obviously, climate change is such a big one.
▶ 1:13:25Sen. Hickenlooper: As secretary, do you think there is the possibility the department of energy can finally begin to build a plant, a comprehensive plan on how we deal with the energy future but also look to take a hard look at climate change?
▶ 1:13:36Mr. Wright: Senator, yes indeed. I am very interested in that idea and it is certainly something I have been thinking about. The department of energy created a look into energy and what the future of energy might bring about 20 years ago. I think it is time to do that again and to look not just at energy and the energy trajectory we are on but the other issues related to energy and talk among those, climate change.
▶ 1:14:04Sen. Hickenlooper: I think on that note, and you have in the past some time ago described how slowly climate change is evolving that it is so far out in the future it should not commit as much attention. A lot of people are concerned about the acceleration and how soon can we recognize the feedback loops.
▶ 1:14:29Sen. Hickenlooper: We are talking about the solidity of the oceans, the massive ice melts and glaciers halving. Those things have the potential to create a much more rapid rate of c1 rate of change, and they say it is more rapid.
▶ 1:14:56Sen. Hickenlooper: If it goes faster, should we have plans ready to address that scenario? The fires in l.a. And these extreme events, we are not prepared for the. We don't have an insurance system that works.
▶ 1:15:21Mr. Wright: Absolutely. I've studied the data of climate change for 20 years. It's a global, real, challenging issue. The solution is to evolve our energy system. I worked on that most my career.
▶ 1:15:52Mr. Wright: Do I wish we could make faster progress, absolutely? -- absolutely. Are there things we can do in the development of technologies that are the only pathway to address climate change? Absolutely. We have should -- we should have nothing but american leadership in this area.
▶ 1:16:21Mr. Wright: I think president trump is firmly aligned with that position.
▶ 1:16:25Sen. Hickenlooper: The energy lab, a large portion of that work is in colorado. Do you think budgets should be reevaluated?
▶ 1:16:41Mr. Wright: It is too early for me to comment on that. I visited years ago as a fellow energy guy in denver, a lot of great humans their driving innovation, working with businesses. It's not just basic research. It's applied research and new tech.
▶ 1:17:08Sen. Hickenlooper: This will be the first time I have ever gotten five questions in during testimony. Not sure what that says. We spend work looking at the grid. As we do, we build infrastructure to respond to other constraints.
▶ 1:17:32Sen. Hickenlooper: We have been stymied in terms of the permitting process and finding ways to protect local communities, respect the environmental importance of our landscapes. We realize we have to move more rapidly in building electrical infrastructure.
▶ 1:17:53Mr. Wright: In the energy world, the most pressing problem we have. This problem will get worse. I'm concerned. We need to change gears and get serious about building infrastructure, investment, bringing the cost of electricity down and keeping the grid stable. I'm deeply concerned about the current trajectory.
▶ 1:18:24Chair Lee: Senator hyde-smith.
▶ 1:18:29Sen. Hyde-Smith: Thank you. I enjoyed our visit in my office. We had the opportunity to discuss the importance of this committee. Everyone sitting up here have developers coming to our state and we certainly want economic development, jobs for citizens.
▶ 1:19:01Sen. Hyde-Smith: So much of that is part of what kind of energy can we provide for that company. They are important to people in mississippi and other states. D.o.e. Classified nuclear energy as the largest source of clean power in the U.S. containment is critical to every aspect.
▶ 1:19:30Sen. Hyde-Smith: High-efficiency peer filters, hepa filters, the operational barrier between the containment and the release of radioactive particles. I am proud in my home state, mississippi state university where my daughter is in graduate school, they have been researching new technologies to develop better performances and capabilities of filters for new
▶ 1:20:03Sen. Hyde-Smith: Reactors, containment, ventilation. This research plays an important role in advancing the next generation of filtration systems we are concerned with. We are concerned about the future of the policies we are passing now. Miles,, when he is an adult, the things we're talking about today will affect him.
▶ 1:20:29Sen. Hyde-Smith: What do you see as deficiencies related to containment ventilation issues, waste processing and new generations of power reactors?
▶ 1:20:39Mr. Wright: Thank you for our dialogue and what you do for mississippi. Technology. The key for growing energy future, more abundance. >> l.a. Is burning.
▶ 1:21:05Chair Lee: Committee will stand in recess until the capitol police restore order. Committee will be in order. Committee will be in order. Committee will stand in recess until the capitol police restore order. Committee will stand in recess until the U.S. capitol police can restore order.
▶ 1:21:34Chair Lee: Committee will stand in recess until the capitol police can restore order.
▶ 1:21:41Sen. Hyde-Smith: Thank you. We figured out it is every other speaker here so heads up. I truly have a lot of them. Sorry about that.
▶ 1:21:53Mr. Wright: You were talking specifically about advancements in nuclear technology. It's already a significant source of energy in the U.S.. How do we get it growing again? How does that researching mississippi on filtration and research and so many of the places, how do we get it going again?
▶ 1:22:18Mr. Wright: My view is building large projects in this country, very hard to do. We need to fix that. Typical nuclear reactor is a gigawatt. The last ones we built took over a decade, multiples over budget. With nuclear, we have a new generation reactors smaller, more manufactured in a facility.
▶ 1:22:47Mr. Wright: Anything manufactured in a facility, a semiconductor, the cost of those are coming down. Anything built on location, the cost is going up. We have to figure out how to get cost barriers out of the way. Get better technologies like it mississippi state, to get americans comfortable with the safety and security of nuclear. The facts are compelling.
▶ 1:23:17Mr. Wright: Nuclear today is less than 20% of U.S. electricity. That is significant. Electricity is one sliver of energy. The biggest use of energy is high temperature process heat. It's the most important use of energy. It's how we make steel and cement and metals and all those things we make everything else out of. We cannot build a car without those.
▶ 1:23:48Mr. Wright: Nuclear could provide energy, high temperature heat to impact manufacturing as well. There is so much room to run and grow for nuclear. I think we see brought investments across our country, research, enabling tech, and before long we will see the energy source deployed widely.
▶ 1:24:11Sen. Hyde-Smith: So refreshing to hear you say those things. I look forward to working with you. All the questions have been good today. It gives us hope and optimism. Thank you for your willingness to serve.
▶ 1:24:30Mr. Wright: Thank you.
▶ 1:24:32Chair Lee: Senator hirono.
▶ 1:24:37Sen. Hirono: We did not receive info relating to this nominee until late yesterday. It would have been good if we could have followed the process that would have given us more time.
▶ 1:25:03Sen. Hirono: As part of my responsibilities as a member of this and my other committees, I ask the following questions to ascertain the fitness of the nominee for the job. Since you became a legal adult, have you ever made unwanted requests for sexual favors or committed verbal or physical harassment or assault of any nature?
▶ 1:25:24Mr. Wright: I have not.
▶ 1:25:26Sen. Hirono: Have you ever face discipline relating to this conduct?
▶ 1:25:30Mr. Wright: I have not.
▶ 1:25:33Sen. Hirono: It is shocking to see the devastation caused by the fires in los angeles. 2023, a wildfire killed 122 people and destroyed the town of lahaina, maui, and the electricity company received money from d.o.e. To reduce the risk of future wildfires.
▶ 1:26:08Sen. Hirono: Hawaii has received other support and funding from d.o.e. To proceed with modernization. Do you acknowledge the need for improvements to our electric grids that will reduce the risk of wildfires and ensure reliable access?
▶ 1:26:27Mr. Wright: I remember watching with horror the fires in lahaina and the fires today in l.a., absolute tragedy. Devastating. Absolutely yes we need to improve our grid for increased supply, resilience.
▶ 1:26:47Sen. Hirono: As we see these natural disasters, states and municipalities will need help from d.o.e., so will you continue allocating funding for grid improvements authorized by congressa/ -- congress?
▶ 1:27:03Mr. Wright: It is not as simple as that. Yes of course I want to work with you and other states to increase grid resilience.
▶ 1:27:12Sen. Hirono: Appreciate that. D.o.e. Is required to ensure construction and repair projects funded by doe under the infrastructure investment and jobs act pay prevailing wages. Will you paper billing wages as required under the infrastructure law?
▶ 1:27:31Mr. Wright: If I have the privilege to be confirmed I will follow the laws and statutes of the U.S.
▶ 1:27:38Sen. Hirono: Paying prevailing wages on these kinds of projects. The washington post reported in april '24 donald trump told a group of oil executives at mar-a-lago that they should raise $1 million for his campaign which would be a deal given his commitment to reversing environmental regulations, expanding oil and gas leasing on federal land and approval of natural gas exports. Did you attend that meeting?
▶ 1:28:07Mr. Wright: I was at a dinner with president trump in mar-a-lago in april. Quite a bit different than what you just described but yes I was at a dinner.
▶ 1:28:19Sen. Hirono: It was reported he talked about $1 billion. Was it appropriate for the president to put forth the possibility of such ideal? -- such a deal.
▶ 1:28:34Mr. Wright: I was at the dinner and the president put forth no such deal.
▶ 1:28:39Sen. Hirono: That is not what was reported. As secretary of energy you would have oversight over contracts, grants and loan guarantees. Are you prepared to engage in vigorous oversight of doe funding even if president trump pressures you to approve sweetheart deals to one of his favorites? Will you be objective should you be confirmed?
▶ 1:29:03Mr. Wright: I followed rigorous and unethical business practices my whole life and will continue to do that at d.o.e. If I have the privilege of being confirmed.
▶ 1:29:15Sen. Hirono: If you are confirmed, your obligation will be to the american people, not to the shareholders or board members for oil and gas companies. Would you allow all exports of natural gas to china and anywhere around the world regardless of whether the exports would increase heating and power bills for the american people?
▶ 1:29:40Mr. Wright: I would love to have more time to talk about natural gas exports. The brief history of them is as we have grown our natural gas exports, our price of natural gas has gone down because the industry has benefited --
▶ 1:29:55Sen. Hirono: I am asking whether you would take into consideration the impact to the cost of energy in america would be if you allow export of oil and gas, you would keep that uppermost in mind, the impact of these exports to the cost of energy to our american people?
▶ 1:30:17Mr. Wright: Absolutely. I share your concern there.
▶ 1:30:21Chair Lee: Senator hoeven.
▶ 1:30:25Sen. Hoeven: As you talked about deploying the latest tech is how we produce with the best environmental stewardship at home and when we implement those, the world follows. How do we bring folks along on that?
▶ 1:30:51Sen. Hoeven: If they are skeptical of fossil fuels, how do we demonstrate to them that tech where we lead and we have the best environmental stewardship benefits globally? How do we convince them? What can you do?
▶ 1:31:03Mr. Wright: Thank you for your opening remarks. Tough. Spent my adult life engaged in dialogues about energy. M.I.t., fusion energy. Solar energy at uc berkeley. We want more energy in the world. It makes people's lives better.
▶ 1:31:33Mr. Wright: There isn't dirty energy and clean energy. All energies are different and they all have different trade-offs. Different people have different weights and evaluations. Different geographies and locations have climates more favorable to this versus that energy. It's complicated dialogue. Not easy to get people to share broader perspective on it.
▶ 1:31:58Mr. Wright: We see that in well-meaning wonderful people that have been sitting in the hearing room today. One of the things I work on is to disassemble the numbers and data. When I was born, the world got mid 80% of total energy from hydrocarbons. I was born close to 60 years ago, and a few hours right now.
▶ 1:32:29Mr. Wright: Today, total global primary energy is low to mid 80%. Global demand for energy is growing. A lot of new energy tech, thankfully, or we would not have as much energy as we have today but it has proven heart to displace hydrocarbons in the global energy system -- it has proven hard.
▶ 1:32:54Mr. Wright: The other perspective important to look at is one billion people with lives like us, we get to wear fancy clothes made out of hydrocarbons, we get to use motorized transport to visit our family and we have warm houses in the winter and cool houses in the summertime. That's one billion people in the world. There is 7 billion people in the world that don't live lives anything like we do. I've traveled to 55 countries.
▶ 1:33:25Mr. Wright: 7 billion people want this. They want what we have. Of course they should get what we have. Through market forces and improvement and leadership particularly leadership from president-elect trump, I think we will see growing more abundant energy resources coming out of our country and hopefully the world, so everyone can live lives like we do.
▶ 1:33:50Sen. Hoeven: It's important you are a voice for that. You will have a platform to convince people and explain what you explained. Paul different energy types have strengths and weaknesses. When we deploy tech, we lead the way. More energy, higher standard of living, better environmental stewardship. That's what you are about rather than folks saying you can't have this or we only have that. That's a big role.
▶ 1:34:22Sen. Hoeven: Following, you worked on hydraulic fracking. It was technically feasible but not economically feasible. Seam thing -- the same thing with clean coal technology. We have addressed mercury and co2. Will you commit to working with us to ensure carbon capture, co2 capture, to address concerns and use it as a resource?
▶ 1:34:52Sen. Hoeven: Our state is leading in that area. You know that. Touch on that. Respond to whether you will come with me to the university of north dakota, energy and environmental research commission and see what we're doing and work with us on project tundra to do this? In 10 seconds.
▶ 1:35:14Mr. Wright: Resounding yes.
▶ 1:35:20Chair Lee: Senator padilla.
▶ 1:35:24Sen. Padilla: We have all seen the devastation in los angeles due to the ongoing wildfires that burned 40,000 acres of land this last weekend and destroyed 12,000 structures and has led to two dozen lives lost. The most destructive natural disasters in l.a.
▶ 1:35:47Sen. Padilla: History, despite the recent information circulating, it is clear these fires reached the size and scale they have because of unseasonably dry vegetation and extremely high winds. Both of which are a direct result of climate change. Thank you for being here.
▶ 1:36:16Sen. Padilla: Last week, the climate crisis and its deadly effects is real to my neighbors and constituents. As we discussed yesterday, you were a longtime resident. You have seen conditions evolve firsthand. I was disappointed to come across some social posts of yours.
▶ 1:36:44Sen. Padilla: "the hype over wildfires is just hype. To justify more impoverishment from bad government policies." given the devastation we are currently experiencing, do you still believe wildfires are hype?
▶ 1:37:08Mr. Wright: With great sorrow and fear, I watch what is happening in your city of l.a.
▶ 1:37:17Sen. Padilla: Is it hype?
▶ 1:37:20Mr. Wright: Climate change is a real and global phenomenon --
▶ 1:37:24Sen. Padilla: Is it hype?
▶ 1:37:26Mr. Wright: I stand by my past comments.
▶ 1:37:29Sen. Padilla: Tell that to the families of the more than two dozen lost in these fires and counting, because of urban search and rescue teams still going property by property with cadaver dogs, the number will climb. Another element of your social media. You reposted a statement, not your words but you felt it important to amplify.
▶ 1:37:59Sen. Padilla: "now obviously burning to death in a fire is pretty grim but that is not what is happening like the climate zealots would like you to believe." again, to the families of more than a couple dozen of my constituents who died in these fires, and the number is growing, do you believe californians dying in the past
▶ 1:38:29Sen. Padilla: Week are a figment of our imagination?
▶ 1:38:30Mr. Wright: Of course not. It is heart wrenching to watch the destruction --
▶ 1:38:38Sen. Padilla: I agree. I'm not sorry for cutting you off. The point has been made in your standing by your posts, and I assume reposts as well, and I will tell you why I am further disappointed -- the general conversation in my office yesterday, you pride yourself in your science background, leaning on facts and truth and evidence and data, as you make decisions
▶ 1:39:12Sen. Padilla: And decide which actions to take. Let me transition to something substantive in this role should you be fortunate to be confirmed. One of the most important functions of doe is research. We discussed 17 national labs and you referenced it earlier, working hard to tackle critical scientific challenges.
▶ 1:39:37Sen. Padilla: California is home to three of these labs and understand the need for these labs to advance research and knowledge. The data and research published by these labs writ large are the foundational for unlocking new tech and maintaining our competitive advantages globally. Will you commit to publishing and not censoring nonclassified doe research/ --?
▶ 1:40:07Mr. Wright: Absolutely. Scientific process has been a key driver of our progress, country and world.
▶ 1:40:14Sen. Padilla: It should be a no-brainer. Let me tell you why I feel the need to ask the question. It is a possibility you may be asked by incoming president trump, maybe through his intermediaries, to not publish or withhold or suppress doe research and studies. What would you do if asked?
▶ 1:40:39Mr. Wright: I am proud to be serving, I hope, with incoming president trump. He shares my passion for energy and bettering american lives.
▶ 1:40:51Sen. Padilla: If asked, what would you do?
▶ 1:40:54Mr. Wright: I will follow the scientific method, be honest with integrity and follow the laws and statutes of our country.
▶ 1:41:02Sen. Padilla: In my office, you shared with me your opinion that federal subsidies do not make sense for mature industries.
▶ 1:41:21Mr. Wright: Less fruitful, yes.
▶ 1:41:24Sen. Padilla: You included oil and gas in the examples of mature industry.
▶ 1:41:30Mr. Wright: Correct.
▶ 1:41:31Sen. Padilla: Share with me and my colleagues, expand on your belief that if oil and gas for mature industries, subsidies don't make sense here anymore, that we should subtract those and we correct them into more contemporary investments.
▶ 1:41:52Mr. Wright: As a career entrepreneur, a free-market advocate, my goal is to have a small role for government in business, particularly mature businesses. You have to have the rule of law, enforcement of contracts. The best role for the federal government is basic research and helping launch new tech just getting their footing.
▶ 1:42:18Sen. Padilla: I support a position of rolling back subsidies for oil and gas.
▶ 1:42:24Chair Lee: We are in the presence of greatness, senator rich has another cabinet nominee. Senator barrasso has agreed to take the first couple minutes of his time. Senator rich and senator barrasso.
▶ 1:42:44Sen. Risch: Thank you for your indulgence. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me. I came here because I want to give you an opportunity to underscore year understanding of the importance of nuclear energy. We still have the first light bulbs that were lit with nuclear energy at the national lab.
▶ 1:43:17Sen. Risch: It's incredibly important called in the wheel of nuclear energy -- cog in the wheel of nuclear energy. We look forward to your visit. With the renaissance of nuclear in america, louder really in the world writ large, we compete, the U.S., with russia, china and france in providing purveyor of
▶ 1:43:50Sen. Risch: Nuclear power plants to other countries interested. There is so much interest now. The importance of us, when a contract is put out from another country, of us being the winner because it creates a 100 year relationship. Articulate your understanding of importance the U.S.
▶ 1:44:19Sen. Risch: And the iowa national lab, the importance they have in leading the world as we go forward over the next decades, converting to nuclear.
▶ 1:44:32Mr. Wright: Thank you. I enjoyed our visit. A lot to be proud of in idaho. The U.S. invented the technology of nuclear for abrupt action weapons and nuclear power. We should lead in that. President elect trump and I are aligned on this. There are other players in the space. If the U.S.
▶ 1:44:59Mr. Wright: Moves slowly, other players will fill that vacuum. Much better that partnership is with the U.S. I am in favor of that. Nuclear is smaller today, 4% of global energy, that could grow huge. It has had potential for some time. I would like to see it move faster.
▶ 1:45:21Sen. Risch: Appreciate that. Agree. It can move faster, it will move faster. The advent of the small modular reactor and the micro behind it quickly, we are moving. China is competing, who can get them demonstrated quick enough and the first commercials.
▶ 1:45:50Sen. Risch: When that happens, there will be a stampede by countries to get smr's. I'm convinced you agree we need to be the leader in doing that. Thank you for your understanding. Look forward to working with you.
▶ 1:46:10Chair Lee: Senator barrasso.
▶ 1:46:13Sen. Barrasso: I want to congratulate you chair lee, your first committee meeting at the helm. Governor burgum is here to testify tomorrow. I assume we will hear another wonderful introduction. >> absolutely.
▶ 1:46:35Sen. Barrasso: Regulations. We have had a chance to visit. I will submit most of them in writing. Questions from the senior senator from california about wildfires and you were cut off. I would want to give you time to respond if you would like, some of the comments he made.
▶ 1:46:58Mr. Wright: As someone who spent my life focused on poverty and poverty abatement in our country and abroad, seeing people suffering, in pain, lose family members, lose their property, their sense of self, their security is absolutely heart-wrenching. It is horrible to watch what's happening in l.a. Today. Wow.
▶ 1:47:28Mr. Wright: The kind of things we want to protect people from. We want to make our society resilient, stronger. There's no words to say in the middle of a personal trauma that reflect global policy and all that. These are human tragedies that touch us. I lived in california 19 years. Lots of friends in the l.a. Area. I will probably get emotional. It's terrific.
▶ 1:48:01Mr. Wright: -- it is horrific. We need to do everything we can to get fires out, infrastructure rebuilt and people return to the lives they had before these fires.
▶ 1:48:11Sen. Barrasso: We have our wyoming national guard there with equipment. It is heartbreaking. We have lost the capacity to enrich uranium. America is dependent on imports right now to fuel new your reactors -- to fuel nuclear reactors.
▶ 1:48:37Sen. Barrasso: In 2023, congress passed the nuclear fuel security act and repurposed $2.7 billion in funding. Will you make it a priority to build and secure our nuclear fuel supply chain?
▶ 1:48:51Mr. Wright: Absolutely. We shared that concern in your office. It's a significant hole in the U.S. arsenal right now. Tech we developed but we import most from abroad and most enriched in the U.S. is by companies that are not american. It's a tough challenge.
▶ 1:49:18Sen. Barrasso: Congress passed legislation to ban imports of russian uranium. It has to be implemented correctly. The secretary of energy has discretion to provide waivers seeking to import uranium from russia. Should these waivers be very limited?
▶ 1:49:41Mr. Wright: I would agree. It is sad how dependent we have become on imported, enriched uranium from russia. It's a sad state of affairs. We need to get beyond that. We need to get beyond that without shutting down the nuclear power plants we have running today. It's an area that requires urgent action.
▶ 1:50:04Sen. Barrasso: Now we see more imports from china as we shut down russia. Do you support efforts to end uranium imports from china?
▶ 1:50:16Mr. Wright: Yes. That's another country on which we should not be dependent upon for critical supply. Enriched uranium to turn on our lights, power factories are critical supplies.
▶ 1:50:32Sen. Barrasso: Vance nuclear reactor demonstration project, d.o.e. Advanced program is meant to help developers overcome hurdles we have in terms of early expense with develop. Program see bi-partisan support. Will you ensure department continues to be a faithful partner in this mission?
▶ 1:50:57Mr. Wright: That's a key role of the U.S. government and the doe, to bridge technologies that have running room. Mostly for government regulatory burden and uncertainty, have not been able to reach full commercial status yet.
▶ 1:51:14Chair Lee: We will turn to another new member of the committee representing the state where I was born, turns out a fellow fan of mariotti music. -- mariachi music. >> thank you for meeting with me yesterday.
▶ 1:51:43Chair Lee: I appreciate your enthusiasm for nuclear energy. I have supported smr's and see great potential in them. Smr's and nuclear broadly face challenges including the cost of scaling, public perception and permitting. As secretary what actions will you take to improve the deployment of smr's?
▶ 1:52:13Mr. Wright: Thank you for our dialogue. Congratulations on being a new senator in this august body. It's a challenge. I am new to government. I cannot list off the levers I can pull. I have been in dialogues about how do we make it easier to research, invest and build things?
▶ 1:52:43Mr. Wright: D.o.e. Has land and facilities that can be helpful. My current company liberty energy owns a small modular reactor company and their first smr will be built in the idaho national lab, a d.o.e. Facility. Is there a role to play? Absolutely. It's creative things like that and research and communication about the energy and tech.
▶ 1:53:14Mr. Wright: This should be a huge part of america's future energy source. That won't happen without action within the legislature of the U.S., the doe and incoming administration.
▶ 1:53:24Sen. Gallego: Assume this is where we would have communication from your staff to us, what could be be passing here to scale up smr and other types of nuclear to cut through the regulations?
▶ 1:53:38Mr. Wright: Absolutely. The advance act is early and is a great first step. Some steps have been taken. More can be done.
▶ 1:53:50Sen. Gallego: Arizona has ample resources, a rapidly growing industrial sector. Since the passage of the ira, arizona has seen billions in new clean energy investments and created thousands of good paying jobs in rural areas.
▶ 1:54:07Sen. Gallego: Some republicans have started talking about dismantling the energy provisions from the ira which would cost arizona middle-class jobs, economic growth and energy production, which we can all agree we want.
▶ 1:54:29Sen. Gallego: Will you commit to protecting clean energy provisions of the ira and how will doe ensure previously authorized ira funds are efficiently distributed?
▶ 1:54:40Mr. Wright: Thank you. I'm not involved in lawmaking. That will be here in the senate and the house. My goal would be to implement the laws of the land and make some decisions on allocation of capital or funds approved by congressional bodies.
▶ 1:55:01Mr. Wright: I will seek to allocate those funds in the most efficient way to grow our supply of affordable, reliable, secure energy and to invest in tech that cannot do that today but have a pathway to do that in the future. That's a critical function of the doe from basic research to emerge intact to technologies that have been born but are not at scale yet.
▶ 1:55:30Mr. Wright: There's a critical role yet from doe in all those.
▶ 1:55:34Sen. Gallego: Now to transmission. It doesn't make a difference if we cannot move it. More transmission construction is vital. I voted repeatedly to streamline permitting for transmission projects. What would your approach be to improve the timeline for approvals?
▶ 1:55:58Mr. Wright: I have been an advocate to make it easier to build things in america. It will always be our. -- it will always be hard. You cannot build next-generation systems if you cannot build anything.
▶ 1:56:19Mr. Wright: President trump campaigned aggressively on building things again in america, on growing american energy production, securing hundred and driving down the price. The only way you can drive down the price is to grow supply. There will be many avenues to pursue. As a political novice I will be learning along the way. I'm learning from the members of this committee.
▶ 1:56:47Mr. Wright: 100% committed to growing our grid and energy production and removing barriers standing in the way of doing things in arizona and the country.
▶ 1:57:00Chair Lee: Senator murkowski.
▶ 1:57:06Sen. Murkowski: One of the benefits you will see a being chairman is you get to listen to the testimony from beginning to end and I will tell you your testimony this morning was encouraging. Love the fact you are a self-described energy geek.
▶ 1:57:30Sen. Murkowski: Love the fact that senator hickenlooper calls you a scientist who invested his life around energy, to have somebody who understands energy from the scientific perspective, the entrepreneurial perspective, the economic perspective, the security perspective is truly unique. The fact you have been nominated and agreed to go through this, thank you.
▶ 1:58:01Sen. Murkowski: You bring the type of enthusiasm and ability to communicate why energy is key. We talked about that we view -- we have those who view energy as liability. We view it as an asset. Affordability, abundance is important to understand.
▶ 1:58:32Sen. Murkowski: A lot of passion in the back of the room today. You have your back to it but your ears and hearts are tuned. There is so much emotion attached to what we are seeing with changes in our climate today. We can argue about the percentages or how much is human caused or whatever. But we are seeing there is change. You are not denying that. You have said climate change is real.
▶ 1:59:02Ms. Hernandez: Absolutely -- Mr.
▶ 1:59:05Wright: Absolutely.
▶ 1:59:07Sen. Murkowski: I heard you say this morning that "the solution to climate change is how we evolve our energy system."
▶ 1:59:15Mr. Wright: Absolutely.
▶ 1:59:17Sen. Murkowski: It's about technology. We are acknowledging we are dealing and feeling it. We are feeling it in alaska. I wish I could tell you it was as cold in alaska right now as it is in washington dc right now. We see changes detrimental to the system. Our thermostat is out of whack. We want arctic temperatures up north.
▶ 1:59:44Sen. Murkowski: One way we get there is through our technologies that will help us adapt, mitigate and prevent. I want to direct comments to the parochial side. Arctic. We don't have national labs. We have a great partnership with our cold climate housing. We are proud.
▶ 2:00:12Sen. Murkowski: Where does the arctic energy office, the office of indian energy and the alaska camp fit into your thinking when thinking about not only technologies but how you can use a place like alaska as a proving ground for so many technologies where energy cost is higher than just about any other place in the U.S., arguably in parts of the world?
▶ 2:00:36Mr. Wright: Thank you for the dialogue we had which was broad ranging. I view alaska as microcosm for the world. Hard to call alaska micro. Enormous energy resources set next door to remote communities with very little energy access and the access they have is expensive.
▶ 2:01:07Mr. Wright: Combo l resources, lack of infrastructure, different settings need different sources. I worked for years in this area. Sitting behind me, the gal who runs our veteran human life foundation, trying to bring energy access to remote villages in africa. When I hear of your arctic energy office in the communities you are serving, this is a global problem.
▶ 2:01:34Mr. Wright: How do we get different energy solutions for different communities at different stage of economic development, different lifestyles, different cultures? My vision if I am honored to be confirmed is to expand on that arctic energy office. This is an energy office for remote communities. There are different technologies and different -- Sen.
▶ 2:02:04Mr. Wright: Murkowski: it is appreciating the diversity of where we are as well as diversity of resources. Nobody has spoken to critical intervals this morning. I view this as the next looming security vulnerability. If we want to move out with energy tech regardless of where they are, we need minerals.
▶ 2:02:38Mr. Wright: We are stronger when we are developing more at home. I shared with you how frustrated I was with doe over repeated subsidization of a graphite processing plant getting a supply from mozambique. We have a natural graphite deposit in alaska outside nome.
▶ 2:03:04Mr. Wright: The same day we met, the company behind the project importing graphite from mozambique was forced to declare force majeure because of the violent unrest in mozambique. We have millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars at risk.
▶ 2:03:24Mr. Wright: Something I hope you will look at critically in terms of what we are doing to ensure we are responsibly accessing our resources, particularly in the critical minerals vein, put making sure we are not embarking on exercises that are going to result in a loss of taxpayer dollars without any net benefit to the people in this country.
▶ 2:03:56Mr. Wright: I am excited about the potential you will bring to the energy discussion in this country.
▶ 2:04:02Chair Lee: Senator cantwell.
▶ 2:04:08Sen. Cantwell: I have been on this committee since working with chair murkowski. Meeting frank murkowski. I have worked with a lot of chairman and different committees. Paperwork is never an issue we debate. I hope everyone will take a deep breath and understand transparency in the process is all people want.
▶ 2:04:39Sen. Cantwell: I know people are anxious in the new administration to get the people. We want them to have that opportunity. The transparency it takes to get paperwork and have time for people to digest it, is important and everything will go smoother if we can get that done. Congratulations on your nomination. Thanks for your willingness to serve. Hanford cleanup.
▶ 2:05:13Sen. Cantwell: We played an important role for our nation during world war ii. We are proud of that. The cleanup after the manhattan project has to be historic and committed to over a long time. I voted for republicans to be energy secretary but they also committed to cleaning up hanford. Your same commitment.
▶ 2:05:40Sen. Cantwell: We entered into a tri-party agreement, updated recently into final agreement. Will you commit to upholding commitment doe made to the timeframe and cleanup of hanford waste? Usually what happens is omb people come in and say we can save money, we can do cleanup on the cheap.
▶ 2:06:05Sen. Cantwell: Most of the time those ideas go in the trash, putting you in a horrible situation because you have to fight for those dollars. Will you commit to upholding the tri-party agreement between doe, washington and others in supporting hanford cleanup and advocating for a budget that represents that commitment?
▶ 2:06:24Mr. Wright: I cannot overstate how critical it is to finish the job, the cleanup at hanford. The majority of our countries plutonium was produced there, not just for world war ii but the postwar and our arsenal today. Hanford gave a lot to this country. We left a mess. That needs to be cleaned up. It's being cleaned up thanks in part to your efforts and many in your state to push for it.
▶ 2:06:53Mr. Wright: I am firmly committed to continuing our obligations and moral obligations to cleanup the mess left in your state.
▶ 2:07:04Sen. Cantwell: Under that legal framework? You can ticket for the record but you need to look at that and say I believe in that legal framework. People get into trouble because someone tries to redefine the agreement made or let's make it simpler. They try to redefine what is waste?
▶ 2:07:31Sen. Cantwell: They try to reclassify hazardous waste into something else and say we will leave it in the tanks, which are leaking, and we don't want those leaking tanks as sources of very severe issues. Secondly, do you believe in upholding investments, capabilities and national labs when it comes to the issue of ai and quantum?
▶ 2:07:54Sen. Cantwell: We think these things have major implications but we have to have our labs continuing to play a leadership role with the right amount of funding to continue a very important competitive national security agenda for our nation.
▶ 2:08:08Mr. Wright: I agree with your comment in question. Pnnl has done fabulous work in this area. Cybersecurity is a growing threat. It's not obvious because we don't see it. Filtration into systems across government and industry from warren actors is huge -- from foreign actors is huge. Driving that security is critical for the security of our country.
▶ 2:08:37Sen. Cantwell: You know a lot about fusion. Is it time we look at fusion -- the tri-cities is doing everything very, very much a hub because of the long history of hanford and the national labs and natural resources.
▶ 2:09:08Sen. Cantwell: When it comes to fusion, should we ought to be more aggressive, in case this becomes reality, thinking about supply chain and grid integration? Would that behoove us as a nation to be faster at deployment of such tech if we knew what those supply chain issues were now, identifying them and identifying a faster process for getting that
▶ 2:09:38Sen. Cantwell: Integrated into the grid look like?
▶ 2:09:39Mr. Wright: Yes, this is exciting technology with room to run. It has moved rapidly. The last decade has seen more progress than in my lifetime. I would love to see that come to commercial power in the next decade.
▶ 2:09:54Sen. Cantwell: Doe invested $14 billion in U.S. power grid. Many states have grid resiliency programs. I hope you will continue to support those.
▶ 2:10:07Mr. Wright: Grid resiliency is critical, the most urgent energy issue we have today.
▶ 2:10:16Chair Lee: Another one of our new members, who comes from an energy rich state, with oil refineries as well, senator mccormick. Before, you submitted your paperwork in a timely manner. Your paperwork now having received final certification last night before close shouldn't trigger questions.
▶ 2:10:43Mr. Wright: Absolutely. Any questions about my disclosures or paperwork, reach out to me.
▶ 2:10:51Sen. Cornyn: Great to see you. Excited to work with you. We believe the road to energy dominance goes through pennsylvania and it is critical to our future. Forgive me the parochial. I want to stay focused on the things that matter to pennsylvania.
▶ 2:11:13Sen. Cornyn: The east coast is at a disadvantage on lng export capacity compared to the gulf coast, which is a problem for getting pennsylvania production around the country and around the world. Can we get terminals online starting in philly?
▶ 2:11:33Mr. Wright: The more infrastructure we have in this country, the better for america, americans, pennsylvania. I agree with your desire and have expressed that view many times. We have the terminal for liquids but not the main event.
▶ 2:11:55Mr. Wright: Would be beneficial to pennsylvania and the country to have access to lng export near philly.
▶ 2:12:04Sen. Mccormick: Cannot power ai revolution without cheap power from tech clusters. Pennsylvania, we've seen an innovative approach with the microsoft arrangement with three mile island. We spoke about the potential for pennsylvania to become a leader with energy, ai hand-in-hand.
▶ 2:12:32Sen. Mccormick: I am putting together a pennsylvania energy and innovation summit this year to bring together the sector, leading ai companies, huge capital and investors to deliver on president trump's vision to unleash american energy and tech leadership. Looking forward to working with you and secretary bergen.
▶ 2:12:53Mr. Wright: We had a dialogue about that. Count on my support. It's a great way to frame this issue. We want to build a new american industry in ai and lead the world in that industry. For our economic and national security, we better. You cannot build new industry without the energy to support it.
▶ 2:13:23Mr. Wright: To use energy resources you have in pennsylvania and attract private capital to make it happen, I am all in on that.
▶ 2:13:28Sen. Mccormick: We have an opportunity in pennsylvania to leverage natural gas, carbon capture and storage tech to produce blue hydrogen. Will the trump administration insure that federal support for hydrogen development does not disadvantage blue hydrogen projects?
▶ 2:13:53Mr. Wright: I know of what you speak. Too early for me to speak about trade-offs between different tech. Any commitments. I will say the president, who I hope to be honored to serve is passionate about energy, about growing energy, american production of energy, energy itself and to enable better lives for americans, stronger
▶ 2:14:24Mr. Wright: Power, economic and political security for our country. Every part of that mission I think you will see this administration support.
▶ 2:14:33Sen. Mccormick: The shale revolution, one of the major labs is in pittsburgh. How will you revitalize this office to focus on the next generation of fossil fuel innovations?
▶ 2:14:52Mr. Wright: Fossil fuels have powered the world through my lifetime and will continue to do so. It has fallen out of fashion. It's a critical technology. There has been less interest to invest and talk about it. I don't share those aversions. I am all about new tech to improve energy sources across the board including hydrocarbon energy sources.
▶ 2:15:23Sen. Mccormick: The senator from alaska said you are an innovator, scientist. Consistent trend over the past decade, the reduction in carbon emissions as a consequence of tech innovation. By developing innovations, we have more security and greater economic growth and a cleaner environment. What innovations are you most excited about given the trends you are seeing?
▶ 2:15:52Mr. Wright: There are so many. Natural gas in pennsylvania has been the biggest driver of reducing america's greenhouse gas emissions. On a per capita basis, they were lower last year than any year I was born. This is not recent. Everyone knows my age now. It's my birthday.
▶ 2:16:16Sen. Mccormick: Happy birthday.
▶ 2:16:20Chair Lee: Senator king.
▶ 2:16:23Sen. King: You picked a hell of a way to spend your birthday. Your position on climate change is more subtle than publicly recognized. You don't deny there is climate change happening in the world and sea level rise and warming are occurring and that they are related to the combustion of fossil fuels which is drastically increasing the amount of co2 in the atmosphere?
▶ 2:16:50Mr. Wright: Absolutely. I enjoyed our dialogue about that. I have been outspoken of this for the last 20 years. We have increased atmospheric co2 concentration by 50%. That absorbs infrared radiation, makes it harder for the earth to shed heat.
▶ 2:17:15Sen. King: You see tension between diminishing reliance on fossil fuels and powering sources today.
▶ 2:17:29Mr. Wright: That is my view. Energy is critical to human lives. Climate change is a global challenge we need to solve. The trade-offs between those two are decisions politicians make and decisions that will impact the future of our world.
▶ 2:17:51Sen. King: Those trade-offs are important. He said there is no energy transition. You are a walking transition. What you did in shale was an energy revolution in this country that transitioned us. Claire's possible transmission that can happen slowly and probably faster. Fusion, smr, battery storage.
▶ 2:18:23Sen. King: Your company was not exclusively oil and gas but also has investments in batteries, nuclear smr's. You believe we need to diminish where we can the intensity of our manufacture of energy?
▶ 2:18:46Mr. Wright: Absolutely. You're bringing me back to the dialogue we had about trade-offs. I appreciate your comments today. I am for improving all energy tech that can better human lives and reduce emissions. They go together.
▶ 2:19:04Sen. King: I understand the tension. I remember saying years ago we cannot tell the indian nation they cannot have air conditioning because we don't want them to be using energy. The thing that has to be considered is what if you are wrong? What if we are wrong and something drastic happens? That is not discussed much. Climate effect on the atlanta occurrence.
▶ 2:19:32Sen. King: If something happens in the gulfstream, britain, scandinavia would be uninhabitable. We need to bear in mind it is not as easy as saying we are going to help the third world and keep earning fossil fuels. There is a risk we have to have in our calculation would you agree?
▶ 2:19:53Mr. Wright: I agree. What I talk about is what we know, which is the past. Predictions are hard. I think we need to be humble about that. We don't know what is coming in the future. Advancement of energy tech that drive down the cost, those are wins.
▶ 2:20:22Sen. King: I am hoping 10 years from now we will look back on this discussion as quaint. Because technologywill have solved the problem the department of energy has a role in improving lng export terminals. It is supposed to determine the public interest.
▶ 2:20:51Sen. King: I hope you will consider --
▶ 2:20:58Mr. Wright: Nothing is more important than the affordability and access of energy to americans in america. Absolutely that is a critical factor.
▶ 2:21:09Sen. King: A couple other questions structure of this country would improve transmission, correct?
▶ 2:21:18Mr. Wright: Absolutely. It is one of the major bottlenecks today.
▶ 2:21:22Sen. King: One thing I hope you will continue research on is grid enhancing technologies. You don't have to build a whole new tower you can re-conduct energies through the through put of our grid. I commend the research on that to your department.
▶ 2:21:42Mr. Wright: Thank you and I agree. We had a dinner discussion last night.
▶ 2:21:48Sen. King: I appreciate your testimony here today and look forward to working with you. This is a critical area. You bring a unique perspective and breadth of knowledge and appreciate your willingness to take on this challenge. >> good to have you here. I get the best view to see your family, liz and the grandbaby.
▶ 2:22:16Sen. King: As a new grandfather like you of six I understand sometimes you have to step out, those busy moms and dads. I did get a picture with your grandbaby and I will send you that. It is great to have you here. Your track record is amazing as an innovator, scientist, electrical and binge -- engineer, mechanical engineer.
▶ 2:22:39Sen. King: I appreciate your thoughtfulness looking at trade-offs in this complex area related to energy and being fought for and intentional going forward with regard to policies for our country. Thank you for stepping into the public service world. It is a sacrifice for you and your sweet family and I want to thank you both for doing that.
▶ 2:23:03Sen. King: As I step back and look at the numbers, I think we will need 50% more energy in the next five years than we currently consume today globally, this has to be a discussion. How do we get more energy, not less, as we think about these trade-offs. I think you play a critical role , when confirmed as our secretary of energy. The last four years we have taken steps backward, on possible. -- unfortunately.
▶ 2:23:33Sen. King: We saw lng limitations, putting a pause on oil and gas developments, even trying to ban new gas appliances. I think that is out of touch with reality which is why I appreciate your pragmatism as you is going forward.
▶ 2:23:57Sen. King: One of the first things you can do think is to refocus the department on pro-baseload energy policies, baseload power resources like coal, natural gas, hydro power, nuclear. Make sure we have access to reliable and affordable energy year-round whether it rains or snows or the sun is shining or not. The world needs more energy not less.
▶ 2:24:28Sen. King: With the proliferation of data centers, how does google and microsoft and others think about it? They are buying baseload power as a way to fund what they need to do as it relates to the revolution in ai. Blockchain technologies, quantum computing. I think the 50% forecast is probably low. You can help us get ahead of that curve. Here is my question.
▶ 2:24:58Sen. King: Will you promote policies at doe and throughout the government to expand development and ensure reliable and affordable baseload sources of power are protected?
▶ 2:25:11Mr. Wright: Absolutely, senator. If I get the honor and privilege to be confirmed and serve, top goal of mine, you summarized it. Our electricity grid as I said earlier today, it has become more expensive and less reliable, reversing a 100 year trend where that was becoming cheaper in terms of inflation-adjusted cost and more reliable, and we have gone the other direction. We can't go that direction.
▶ 2:25:41Mr. Wright: It is not good for america or air industries. It is a top priority of mine.
▶ 2:25:47Sen. Daines: We can agree reducing emissions is better through innovation not regulation. What are ways you think of innovation to -- to drive reduction in emissions?
▶ 2:26:00Mr. Wright: If you look at the track record right now, almost all emission reductions in our country and across the globe, almost all of them have come from innovations. In the U.S. the biggest has been the arrival of low cost natural gas through the shale revolution. That was not imposed.
▶ 2:26:21Mr. Wright: We had low-cost gas, lower emission gas, not just lower greenhouse gas, but lower particulate matter and it helped air quality. A lot of country emission reductions that have been from regulation and top-down mandates have not been the emissions reductions they appear to be, more emissions removal.
▶ 2:26:48Mr. Wright: If you shut down industry in your country or state emissions do not go away, they just go somewhere else. If they go out of the U.S. with the cleanest and most advanced manufacturing technology, they just go up. Really the only pathway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lift up people's quality of life is through energy innovation. America has been a hotbed of that and we need to return a vigor and focus on energy in this country.
▶ 2:27:18Sen. Daines: I'm out of time, but one quick sentence. Montana is becoming a quantum powerhouse in places like bozeman and my hometown leading high-tech innovation. You have quantum leadership act we are working on to support more jobs and research in this area. My question, if confirmed, will you work with me to bolster quantum and other nexgen technologies?
▶ 2:27:43Mr. Wright: Not only I will, but this administration. This administration and president-elect trump are passionate about leading the next generation of industries and leading them here in america. Absolutely. Love your passion.
▶ 2:28:05Mr. Wright: >> we will turn to another new member of our committee, the great senator from arkansas, senator cotton.
▶ 2:28:16Sen. Cotton: Pardon my tardiness, I was residing over john ratcliffe's hearing. A geological survey recently found anywhere from five to 19 million tons of lithium reserves in a formation in south arkansas. Can you commit to working with my office to develop this rare and strategically vital supply of minerals?
▶ 2:28:40Mr. Wright: Senator, thanks for your question and your service to our country. Absolutely. This is different lithium production to get it out. There is an enormous resource of it in arkansas and I think that is an area of critical interest to our country and should be looked at, evaluated and if commercially viable, developed.
▶ 2:29:07Sen. Cotton: Thank you for that commitment. One sponsor ability of the department of energy sometimes overlooked is the national laboratories that do everything from nuclear development to quantum computing and other high-tech cutting edge. Unfortunately they are a target of foreign espionage. In fiscal year 23 more than 8000 citizens from china and russia were granted access to doe national labs.
▶ 2:29:37Sen. Cotton: Out of a total of 40,000 foreign users. It is my opinion and that of many other senators on the intelligence committee that the department of energy cannot continue to allow adversarial nations to exploit military and doe use technologies for their own gain. What steps can you take to ensure the department pot's national labs and other sensitive facilities are not compromised by our adversaries?
▶ 2:30:04Mr. Wright: Thank you for the question, senator. Thank you for your concern and focus on this issue. I've spoken at length today about what a treasure our natural -- national labs are, how they transformed our country to what it is today, and how they are a vector to transform our country going forward.
▶ 2:30:25Mr. Wright: But if we have american innovation funded by american taxpayers, performed by american citizens, walk out the door and go to our foes for free and without knowing it, clearly that undermines our national security, our economic security. I'm aware of the problem.
▶ 2:30:47Mr. Wright: In concept, if I have the privilege to be confirmed and serve in this role, I will quickly learn a lot more about the problem, including working with a team there and across the administration to find solutions to this critical problem you have identified. I agree about the gravity of the threat and the need to address it.
▶ 2:31:06Sen. Cotton: Thank you. In our experience, many personnel at the labs are brilliant scientists who go on to become managers, but often times they have a scientific mindset and have it in their minds collaborate openly with fellow scientists around the world, which may be fine with french or japanese scientists, but I would say it is not the case for chinese and russian scientists.
▶ 2:31:33Sen. Cotton: And equivalent sites in china and russian are not as open to american scientists. That would violate president trump's treasured principle of reciprocity of foreign nations. Another key responsibility of the department of energy that is sometimes overlooked is the national nuclear security administration which constitutes 50% of the department's budget.
▶ 2:32:01Sen. Cotton: Can you give us assurances the nnsa will receive adequate resources for national security?
▶ 2:32:07Mr. Wright: Absolutely, senator p I have significant concerns and that area. Our uranium enrichment facility seven neduded. Eat in our ability to produce plutonium has been reduced to nearly nothing. There are efforts in place to reduce that, but I want to make sure they move as fast as possible. That is the ultimate guarantor of the sovereignty of our nation, our nuclear arsenal.
▶ 2:32:37Mr. Wright: That is not something we can cut corners on.
▶ 2:32:39Sen. Cotton: I appreciate your testimony and answers on critical questions that are not always highlighted when you think of the department of energy, but they cross into our work on the armed services committee, the intelligence committee. In addition to vital energy developing questions. Thank you very much for your testimony. Congratulations and I look forward to working with you.
▶ 2:33:06Mr. Wright: Thank you, senator. Particularly for working two hearings at the same time.
▶ 2:33:12Chair Lee: Round one is complete. I notify all members, round two goes pretty fast and we will start that now with five minute rounds. At the beginning of my second round I want to ask you a little about the department of energy's appliance standard programs.
▶ 2:33:33Chair Lee: Some of these regulations are of concern or ought to be noticed by the american people as they impact americans in one way or another. They reach almost all equipment that uses energy to any significant degree in americans' homes. Dishwashers, clothes washers and dry years, light bulbs and more. There are consumer protections built into the statute.
▶ 2:34:02Chair Lee: Protections designed to ensure things would not get too expensive, and quality did not fall off the table. In contrast to the previous trump administration, the biden administration has run roughshod over consumer protections built into the law. This effort was in service of the biden administration's whole of government focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Sometimes to the exclusion of authorized statutory mandates.
▶ 2:34:34Chair Lee: What will you do to ensure maximum protections for american families and consumers will be recognized and respected if you are confirmed as energy secretary when implementing the appliance standards program?
▶ 2:34:50Mr. Wright: Thank you, senator for raising that concern. I assure you that is on the mind of millions of americans across the country. I hear it very often. We want drive in the department of energy, innovation and more efficient technologies meaning, delivering the same end with less input. That is advancement, technology.
▶ 2:35:17Mr. Wright: But to take clothes drier's, takes heat and air flow and both of those things take energy. I look at new appliances today. They use half the energy per minute but if it takes you an hour to dry your clothing, it is the same energy consumption and you lost half an hour. Does regulation go well beyond what is sensible and logical? It does a lot. It does a lot.
▶ 2:35:45Mr. Wright: What I want to do is, look at what is happening, what is driving that analysis, and are we playing a role of a reasonable regulator, or are we trying to check boxes or make achievements where trade-offs are not worth it? I think you should always be a little humble and cautious when proposing to reduce the choices of american consumers.
▶ 2:36:08Sen. Cotton: That is a -- chair
▶ 2:36:11Lee: That is a fair point especially with administratively obligated rules and applicable federal law. They are enforceable. If not complied with, can result in massive fines. They can result in somebody's business getting shut down or in some cases, with some, result in prison time if you fail to abide by them. Any time you take away consumer choice, that is a concern.
▶ 2:36:42Lee: Anytime you make new law outside of a lawmaking branch that is concerning. We have a number of things in front of us. One thing I enjoyed reading is this document, which I understand you your self wrote. It is entitled "bettering human lives." energy is playing a significant role in that.
▶ 2:37:11Lee: In this you take on a bunch of different issues, including the fact that as a result of the fact we as americans have access to reliable, affordable, clean electric power, we are able to avoid a lot of problems that in many other countries they fix. You cite alarming statistics from the government of kenya. Their ministry of health talking about respiratory infections. How do those relate to the availability of affordable, reliable electric power?
▶ 2:37:41Mr. Wright: I view this as the most urgent energy challenge on the planet today, which is simply the access of basic clean cooking fuels. Also used for heating, but all of our ancestors, all stayed warm and cooked food burning wood.
▶ 2:38:02Mr. Wright: Regrettably, more than 2 billion people on the planet today still burn wood indoors, sometimes charcoal or dung, indoors to cook their meals and keep their house at a safe temperature. That indoor air pollution kills over 2 million people every year. This is outrageous and entirely solvable.
▶ 2:38:25Mr. Wright: In fact, one thing I am most proud of in the shale revolution, while we have doubled oil production and nearly doubled natural gas production, we have quadrupled U.S. propane production. We have gone from the eighth largest exporter to the largest exporter and we are making propane, that critical fuel that replaces wood to make people's lives longer, better, more opportunity-rich.
▶ 2:38:55Mr. Wright: There are opportunities that are little-known and therefore not addressed, but we can do better.
▶ 2:38:59Chair Lee: Thank you. Senator heinrich?
▶ 2:39:03Sen. Heinrich: Thank you, chairman. I tend to approach energy with four goals and one of the primary ones is affordability. Liability is nonnegotiable, that is critical. To the extent our policies can make them both abundant and clean, those are incredibly important to my constituents. We have heard a lot about cost today and I know we talked about affordability when you visited me in my office.
▶ 2:39:36Sen. Heinrich: I pulled up the latest cost data for wholesale generation costs in sense per kilowatt hour from lazar. Would you consider their data fairly reliable?
▶ 2:39:49Mr. Wright: They -- Sen. heinrich: they were the easiest to pull up.
▶ 2:39:56Mr. Wright: They are the most famous for publishing data on -- levelized misses the boat on energy generation because it treats it like, would you take an uber 10% cheaper in cost if you did not know when it would show up or where it would drop you off?
▶ 2:40:20Sen. Heinrich: One of the reasons I raised this is because in new mexico, I think we have been able to do both of those things at the same time. We predict -- we pursued affordability. I should say all three things. Affordability, reliability, also clean.
▶ 2:40:43Sen. Heinrich: In 2023 there was a statement you made that wind and solar energy will, quote, likely never leave single digits. I guess that is a percent of total energy. I know you understand the difference between the grid and transportation and heat energy we use in our total energy balance.
▶ 2:41:05Sen. Heinrich: But when it comes to the grid in new mexico, in just my utility, which we talked about in my office, they now produce 58% of their generation from carbon free new bowls and nuclear, nuclear being the smallest of that at 7%. Solar being 35% and wind being 15% of their kilowatt hours.
▶ 2:41:36Sen. Heinrich: That means when you combine that with storage resources, which are primarily getting charged by clean excess renewables, their penetration rates are well into the 60's and low 70's.
▶ 2:41:55Sen. Heinrich: When chris wright says, these resources will likely never leave single digits it is one thing, but if the secretary of energy says that, I think people will get the impression, get a different impression. How do you square those two very different data sets?
▶ 2:42:14Mr. Wright: Thank you, senator. I appreciate the question, appreciate our shared interest in affordable, reliable secure energy. New mexico has done great things there. Globally, what is what I talk about mostly in that report, in 2023, the last year we have full data, wind, solar and batteries were 2.6% of global primary energy. In the U.S. a little more than 3%, but not wildly higher than global.
▶ 2:42:45Mr. Wright: Electricity only delivers 20% of global primary energy. Getting 50% and electricity, which would be an incredibly high penetration, that would be double-digit's. But where most of the energy is consumed in the world today, where it is growing fastest, is in south asia, southeast asia, northern africa, mostly south asia and southeast asia.
▶ 2:43:15Mr. Wright: They have very poor wind resources and not very good solar resources. India has some dry places and deserts and good resources, but vietnam, malaysia, indonesia. You go to places where energy growth is rising fastest, they don't have great wind and solar resources.
▶ 2:43:32Sen. Heinrich: That was the context. I want to make sure we understand what we as a country are accomplishing. If you look back at the last year's worth of data, 11 months of 2024, and you look at new generation, the vast majority, I do not have the figure in front of me, the vast majority is clean energy.
▶ 2:43:59Sen. Heinrich: If we can take lessons from what we have been able to accomplish as a world leader in energy, and use them to help people in the world have access to the abundance you talk about, I think it is important to understand the rate of change in some of these systems is not linear. We are saying for example last year in the U.S., the vast majority of that generation on the electric grid being clean.
▶ 2:44:25Mr. Wright: I agree, senator. Thank you and I appreciate your passion for numbers and energy as well.
▶ 2:44:32Sen. Heinrich: We need more data, guys. C1
▶ 2:44:40Chair Lee: Senator murkowski.
▶ 2:44:43Sen. Murkowski: Appreciate the opportunity for a second round. Critical minerals. I would like to ask you about geothermal.
▶ 2:45:01Sen. Murkowski: Areas of opportunity, focus on wind and solar and I don't mean to point to my friend from colorado but geothermal is the mature tech but the technologies being used nowadays are not necessarily what we've seen in the past. You have an interest, they business interest.
▶ 2:45:30Sen. Murkowski: I am excited to know what you think the potential is for viewing this new role to help accelerate in the geothermal development space and reduce project uncertainty.
▶ 2:45:51Sen. Murkowski: I'm looking for better assurance for bright people who have crazy ideas that we can do things on adac and alaska and mount spur to reduce barriers to entry in an energy area that has been around a long time. This shouldn't be so hard. What can we do? Are you excited about it?
▶ 2:46:16Mr. Wright: Very much. I'm uploading my life if I get the honor and privilege of being confirmed. I love energy, all kinds of energy for all americans. Love that you highlight geothermal. Tremendous potential energy source. I worked on this 30 years ago and wrote a paper about it.
▶ 2:46:43Mr. Wright: Geothermal today is hot rocks, they are fractured, fluid can flow through, they are full of pot water. That's a microcosm. It is exceedingly hot. Hot dry rock, is the idea of injecting water into a rock, then flow it up and produce electricity and heating for homes or houses.
▶ 2:47:15Mr. Wright: It's an abundant energy resource below everyone's feet.
▶ 2:47:18Sen. Murkowski: Can you save that passion for when you are confirmed as secretary and elevate this within the department. Everyone wants to get to the top of the list. If I can express disappointment with what I have seen in d.o.e. Over the years. We've seen great things. Geothermal sixpack there as the forgotten child.
▶ 2:47:50Sen. Murkowski: We are not going to allow that to happen. Appreciate that passion. Alaska's natural gas. This revolution being able to access fracking. You know alaska. Congress approved a loan guarantee for alaska gas line.
▶ 2:48:21Sen. Murkowski: I ask for your support that you will work with the delegation to stand up the guarantee to ensure d.o.e. Can accept the application when the proponents are ready.
▶ 2:48:36Mr. Wright: Tremendous resources in alaska of oil, natural gas, minerals, logging, geothermal, you have it all. To grow natural gas production in alaska, given how close it is to the fastest growing markets in the world in asia is tremendous.
▶ 2:49:01Mr. Wright: I'm confident president-elect trump will be a champion of these ideas, of growing american energy production and influence in the world.
▶ 2:49:11Sen. Murkowski: We've got it. We are ready, willing. We need good partners at the federal level to advance this. We've seen critical energy investments in alaska as a result of the infrastructure, investment jobs act. D.o.e.
▶ 2:49:38Sen. Murkowski: Programs have provided benefit to alaska projects so far, most of them underway. They range from the rural renewable energy investments, carbon storage, transmission upgrades, demonstration of long-duration storage. Your assurance we will still be able to continue these projects as a priority within d.o.e.
▶ 2:50:11Sen. Murkowski: We don't want a drop-off here. To build that transmission capacity that will allow for betterment of alaskans and to help americans.
▶ 2:50:32Mr. Wright: I'm thrilled to see the energy innovation in alaska and would love to see that continue.
▶ 2:50:38Sen. Murkowski: Are you going to visit?
▶ 2:50:40Mr. Wright: Absolutely.
▶ 2:50:42Sen. Murkowski: Didn't take much of an invitation. Appreciate that you have ties to the area. Thank you for your willingness to give the committee this much time. You have more energy. Your grandson is probably bored. Might be time to end.
▶ 2:51:03Chair Lee: This grandson seems riveted. Love the geothermal discussion. Senator heinrich and I have a bill together on geothermal. Might as well harness that heat.
▶ 2:51:27Sen. Hickenlooper: I don't think I have to extend an invitation to come to colorado.
▶ 2:51:37Mr. Wright: I accept.
▶ 2:51:39Sen. Hickenlooper: Understand how quickly things were working, to get your disclosures, background check. I have a dinner last night. I have meetings this morning. I share your enthusiasm on geothermal. It is so promising.
▶ 2:52:11Sen. Hickenlooper: You fought through your conflict of interest. You have been part of the catalyst to allow geothermal that we can imagine at scale. You fought through that. I don't have the numbers in front of me yet.
▶ 2:52:28Mr. Wright: My involvement with a particular company, I will sever all ties, financial involvement. Everything I do in energy. I am still in energy. I'm cheering for all of it. I will sever all ties across the energy space.
▶ 2:53:00Mr. Wright: I won't sever my passion for seeing those technologies advanced to better american lives.
▶ 2:53:05Sen. Hickenlooper: I appreciate your open to discussing it with senators, once they see those documents.
▶ 2:53:12Mr. Wright: Given the compressed timeframe, if anyone has any questions about anything, as you know, sometimes to your detriment, I am an open book and so are you.
▶ 2:53:24Sen. Hickenlooper: Fair enough. Geothermal. You know the details. How rapid can we get to scale? The transformational capability can do some of the making of things. High temperature that actually does displace hydrocarbons.
▶ 2:53:52Mr. Wright: 400 megawatt plant in senator lee's state. There already is infrastructure nearby. We will circle back to everyone's top issue today. One of the limiters in the growth of geothermal, there are so any resources out there but there are not easy ways to sell that to users. We will see gigawatts come on in the next few years.
▶ 2:54:23Mr. Wright: Could it be tens of gigawatts with infrastructure? It could.
▶ 2:54:27Sen. Hickenlooper: We are relying on that. I have a couple bills. You will get immersed in all that. Nuclear waste. When I was a kid, protested against nuclear. Couldn't get my arms around how we deal with waste.
▶ 2:54:50Sen. Hickenlooper: With risks of climate change, possibility acceleration of climate change is worse than they think makes the issues around the waste, we have to deal with it safely. Any ideas how to do that? Many young people are concerned with nuclear. It is clean. They can do so many things if we figure out the waste.
▶ 2:55:21Mr. Wright: The concern of kids and us when we were young and of climate change, they are justified. Radioactive materials are dangerous. Fortunately, with engineering insensible -- with engineering, it's one of the most manageable problems. The volume of waste is relatively small. We have been selling nuclear power for seven years.
▶ 2:55:51Mr. Wright: All of that waste is in swimming pools on location, cooling-off, then in dry casks, right on location in urban and suburban areas. It's been there for 70 years. The radio to be -- the radioactivity at those plants is lower than it is at grand central station. We have been able to do that in a safeway.
▶ 2:56:18Mr. Wright: It is better in the long run to have more remote deep storage but there are many ways to do it. The politics of the trickiest part. They matter. You need to have people on board. We don't want people with fear and anxiety about what is going on. It's a political and social challenge but technically can we deal with nuclear waste safely? I believe firmly that we can and we have.
▶ 2:56:42Sen. Hickenlooper: We have to figure out how to have that national discussion to make sure people are aware of how technology can help us make sure it is safe.
▶ 2:56:54Chair Lee: I hope they are not in swimming pools where people are swimming.
▶ 2:57:02Sen. Hoeven: I am in defense appropriations. I want to follow-up on senator cotton. The nsa and national labs in regard to our military. Mission base, air force base in the country. The work is vital as we upgrade our nuclear triad.
▶ 2:57:31Sen. Hoeven: Will you commit to work with me on that important function for d.o.e. On behalf of our country and military?
▶ 2:57:40Mr. Wright: Absolutely. Foundational to our security and way of life.
▶ 2:57:46Sen. Hoeven: Thank you for your open articulate responses. Outstanding job. Open knowledgeable articulate. All of us could see that. Anything else you want to put on record?
▶ 2:58:16Sen. Hoeven: The chairman may do that as well.
▶ 2:58:21Mr. Wright: Thank you. Couple comments. Senator heinrich, new mexico has solar and wind resources. You responsibly developed them. I think we share the importance of energy and affordability.
▶ 2:58:49Mr. Wright: 10% americans got a disconnection notice in the last 12 months. 20% report struggles paying bills whether energy bills, filling their car or utility bills. It's not just national security and industry. It's important for the quality of life of every american. Thank you to everyone on this committee.
▶ 2:59:21Mr. Wright: I would be honored to work with you on this important thing. Energy is the infrastructure of life and makes everything possible. Thank you for the great dialogue. Your service to our country.
▶ 2:59:37Chair Lee: Thank you. Appreciate you being here. We can be a lively bunch. You responded well. Appreciate your family coming. I want to thank the committee staff, especially the capitol police here to keep us safe. Thank you for your work. The record will stand open ready to was in questions until 6 p.m. Today we stand adjourned. Thank you very much.