11 18 24 KOA Host Ross Kaminsky talks about Chris Wright as energy secretary nominee

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Denver based energy CEO tapped by President elect Trump to
be the Secretary of Energy. Chris Wright of Liberty Energy
has fiercely criticized the existence of a climate crisis and
the transition to renewable energy sources. He's frequently donated to
Republican candidates and political action committees.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Right has vowed to decrease energy costs for the US,
and that aligns with the promise from President elect Trump
He's frequently made on the campaign trail. We've reached out
and will continue to do so to get mister Wright
here with us on Colorado's Morning News. But in the
introim our colleague and host of The Ross Kiminski Show,
Ross Kiminski joins us now because Ross has had a
chance to talk and discuss things with Chris Wright. Ross
would appreciate you getting up a little early and being

(00:38):
on with us this morning. Your initial thoughts on Chris
Wright and Chris Wright being nominated to be the Department
of Energy ahead.

Speaker 3 (00:45):
I think he's a great pick. He is one of
the smartest people I've met in my entire life. He
is an MIT educated engineer and then did more graduate
work in energy at MIT and Berkeley, and a lot
of people who don't know much about him are just
going to say, Oh, he's a fracking guy, he must
hate everything else. But he just wants whatever is the

(01:05):
best energy policy for America, which probably won't include as
much solar and wind as the left would like. But
he's all about good practical outcomes and truly one of
the smartest people I've met in my life.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
Ross, you mentioned fracking. Does this appointment pretty much align
with President elect Trump's values and expectations because on the
campaign trail he talked a lot and had the slogan
of frack, babyfrack, and drill, baby drill. You say that
he kind of more aligns with whatever is best for
the country. So is there disconnected anyway.

Speaker 3 (01:34):
No, because fracking is what is best for the country
in the sense that fracking is what has allowed the
United States to develop oil and gas resources that without
horizontal fracturing and drilling wouldn't be available to us at all.
So part of the reason natural gas, especially and also
oil are so inexpensive here is because of that particular technology,

(01:58):
and we should champy it. I think he'll also be
a huge champion for nuclear which is a direction we
really need to go.

Speaker 2 (02:05):
I want to talk more about the nuclear piece in
a moment, but before we do that, Ross some people
may be concerned because Chris right, he's not a climate denier,
but he is a climate skeptic. Can you explain a
little more nuance about where he stands initially on it
that he acknowledges some of it but not all the
science that's out there if I understand that, right?

Speaker 3 (02:23):
Yeah, And my take on Chris and I haven't talked
to him too much about this, but I think he
and I are basically in the same place, which is
climate does change. Humans can have an impact, but it's
not going to end life as we know it, and
humans are adaptable and in general, the proposed quote unquote
solutions are much more expensive and harmful than what people

(02:47):
are claiming the problem is. So I think that's more
or less where Chris Wright is, and not that it matters,
but it's where I am too.

Speaker 1 (02:54):
Do you expect any pushback or will he be approved
by the Senate?

Speaker 2 (02:58):
No problem.

Speaker 3 (03:00):
Expect some pushback, but I also do think he will
be approved. And when you know, when the senators get
to know him a little better, he's a very soft spoken,
really intellectual guy. He can just as easily talk to
you about nuclear power or you know, seventeenth century philosophers.
He's a fascinating guy, and I think he'll probably win

(03:20):
over a few Democrats and get approved.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
I want to ask one more question on Chris Right.
You touched on it. You really can have overall energy
unless you include the nuclear component of it, which you
say he embraces. Does he also know Is he going
to be aware of the Nuclear Energy Mission that the
Department and Energy has used in nuclear making sure that
some of the nuclear waste is more cleaned up in
the weapons issue with that? Is he going to be
familiar with that?

Speaker 3 (03:43):
I don't know if he's you know, what degree of
that he's familiar with today, But I doubt Trump could
have picked anybody who is a faster learner than Chris Right.
And again, at MIT, he studied all forms of energy production.
So even though he's in oil and gas right now,
he understands nuclear very well already.

Speaker 1 (04:04):
Trump also tapping the Chairman of the Federal Community Or
Brendan Carr as the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission Ross,
what do we know so far about Brendan.

Speaker 3 (04:13):
We the main thing we know about Brendan, And by
the way, I know him as well. I met with
him at the FCC offices in DC a few years back,
and I've had him on the show a few times.
His big push right now is free speech, and he
sent a letter just in the last couple of days
to some of these big tech companies warning them about
censoring content, about in particular censoring conservative speech as many

(04:36):
conservatives perceive that. And that's going to be That's going
to be probably his lead issue is eliminating censorship in media.

Speaker 2 (04:46):
Ross, appreciate you coming on with us and sharing your insight.

Speaker 3 (04:48):
Thanks for having me.

Speaker 2 (04:49):
We'll see you in a little bit, won't we. You
sure will. Ross and his method always following us here