Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Chris Wright

How one volunteer connected the dots at RMV’s Freedom Fest
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

How one volunteer connected the dots at RMV’s Freedom Fest

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice After Freedom Fest ended, Pueblo resident Randy Thurston was still talking his way through the weekend. Not in order. One speaker reminded him of another, and a story from Saturday connected to something he had heard Friday. He was not replaying the event. He was still putting it together. "I still don't know how she pulled it off," he said, meaning Rocky Mountain Voice founder Heidi Ganahl. "I don't know how she even had that vision and then the ability to manifest it. Do you know what it took to get everybody there on the weekend before the Fourth of July? That in itself was impossible." A little later, after talking through several of the presentations, he came back to it again. "Any one of these speakers, I would've driven a thousa...
Energy Secretary Chris Wright makes the case for data centers, and admits they’re not for everyone
Rocky Mountain Voice, National, Top Stories

Energy Secretary Chris Wright makes the case for data centers, and admits they’re not for everyone

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright sat down on stage at Douglas County Fairgrounds and told a Colorado crowd that the data centers many of their neighbors are fighting will help cure cancer. Wright, the former Liberty Energy CEO turned 17th U.S. Secretary of Energy, joined Heidi Ganahl for an onstage interview at RMV Freedom Fest on June 27.  Most of the conversation covered familiar Wright territory: oil prices, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Iran.  But when Ganahl turned the conversation to data centers, Wright gave a more layered answer than the typical political pitch, one that conceded real tradeoffs while still landing firmly on the side of building. The comments come as Colorado works throug...
Energy Secretary Chris Wright Pushes Expanding Energy Supply To Lower Costs In Colorado
Colorado Politics, Approved, National

Energy Secretary Chris Wright Pushes Expanding Energy Supply To Lower Costs In Colorado

By: Mark Samuelson | Colorado Politics As a heatwave in the U.S. and Europe punctuated widespread calls for recommitments to solar and other “renewable” sources, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright doubled down on America’s current policy, telling a Thornton crowd on Monday that energy goals would be fixed on increasing the nation’s capacity — no matter what the source. “I went to college to work on fusion energy. I worked on solar energy in graduate school, and geothermal energy right after,” Wright told the Colorado audience. “I don’t care where the energy comes from,” Wright said. “The lights are kept on by gas, coal and nuclear. We have got to grow the capacity, and we are majorly focused on that.” Wright’s visit to Colorado coincides with new calls for le...
Denver Inflation Climbs To 5% As Fuel Prices Drive Costs Higher
The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Denver Inflation Climbs To 5% As Fuel Prices Drive Costs Higher

By Bernadette Berdychowski | The Denver Gazette The Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metro area recorded a 5% rise in prices in the last year, according to federal data released Wednesday for the month of May from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest level seen since 2023.Denver is trending higher than the national annual average of 4.2%.Denver’s inflation was the second-highest among 12 metropolitan regions in the nation after Urban Hawaii in May, according to the BLS. The federal agency tracks inflation across 23 cities. Data from the three biggest cities — New York, Los Angeles and Chicago — are released monthly. Meanwhile, the federal agency releases data from the rest of the cities like Denver every other month. A surge in prices following the pandemic pushed inflation t...
Trump Administration Taps Global Oil Reserves And U.S. Production To Steady Markets
The Daily Signal, Approved, National

Trump Administration Taps Global Oil Reserves And U.S. Production To Steady Markets

By: Anthony Iafrate | The Daily Signal THE DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—Secretary of Energy Chris Wright stated during a “Meet The Press” interview Sunday that the U.S. is taking several actions—including increasing oil production in deep blue California—to mitigate rising fuel costs due to the conflict in Iran. After the military strikes of Operation Epic Fury began Feb. 28, Iran sought to block U.S. transport vessels from passing though the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway separating the country from the Gulf States through which an estimated 20% of the world’s oil demand usually flows. The reduction in shipping volume has led to the surge of oil prices in the following weeks. “We have done many, many act...
U.S. Energy Secretary Warns Colorado Energy Policies Could Raise Prices Drive Jobs Away
The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

U.S. Energy Secretary Warns Colorado Energy Policies Could Raise Prices Drive Jobs Away

By Scott Weiser | The Denver Gazette U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Monday warned that Colorado’s energy policies could lead to higher electricity prices and deter businesses, such as data centers, from locating in the state. Wright, a former executive of a Colorado-based energy company tapped by the Trump White House to lead the energy department, urged state policymakers to focus on natural gas and nuclear power during a news conference with U.S. Rep. Gab Evans at Xcel Energy’s Fort St. Vrain Generating Station on Monday. State policymakers have maintained that Colorado’s energy policy is balanced, taking into accounts the needs of consumers in their push for “net zero” carbon in just a few decades. Democrats have also argued that Colorado should take advantag...
U.S. Rep. Boebert asks Energy Sec. Wright to ‘stop land grab’ of 325K acres in Southeast Colorado
Approved, State, thefencepost.com

U.S. Rep. Boebert asks Energy Sec. Wright to ‘stop land grab’ of 325K acres in Southeast Colorado

By Rachel Gabel | The Fence Post Congresswoman Lauren Boebert is the first member of the Colorado Congressional delegation to send a letter to newly minted Secretary of Energy — and fellow Coloradoan — Chris Wright asking Secretary Wright to recognize the lack of transparency and inability of landowners to provide comments about the department’s proposed National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor or NIETC (Pronounced nit-see) designation. Boebert said the disregard for the public comment period is typical of the Biden administration and in this case, the public comment period ends Feb. 14, leaving little time for landowners to oppose to what she calls a massive land grab. Baca, Kiowa and Prowers counties combined contribute $504 million in ag sales annually, an important par...
Senate confirms Coloradan Chris Wright to lead Energy Department
Approved, Fox21, State

Senate confirms Coloradan Chris Wright to lead Energy Department

By Rachel Frazin | KXRM-TV Fox 21 News, via The Hill The Senate on Monday confirmed Chris Wright, the CEO of fracking company Liberty Energy, to lead the Energy Department.  The vote was 59-38. Democrat Sens. Michael Bennet (Colo.), Ruben Gallego (Ariz.), Maggie Hassan (N.H.), Martin Heinrich (N.M.), John Hickenlooper (Colo.), Ben Ray Luján (N.M.) and Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.) as well as independent Sen. Angus King (Maine) voted with Republicans to confirm him. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle indicated support for his nomination during his confirmation hearing, and he sailed out of committee on a 15-5 vote.  READ THE FULL STORY AT KXRM-TV FOX 21 NEWS
Trump lays out Coloradan Chris Wright’s focus, to unleash ‘liquid gold’ at home and abroad
Approved, coloradopolitics.com, National

Trump lays out Coloradan Chris Wright’s focus, to unleash ‘liquid gold’ at home and abroad

By Thelma Grimes | Colorado Politics President Donald Trump vowed to bring down domestic prices and position America as an energy exporter by unleashing the “liquid gold” flowing beneath U.S. soil, stripping away what he deemed to be excessive regulations and adopting a slew of policies favorable to oil and gas drilling.  “Once again, we will work to make America an energy producer. We'll bring prices down, fill strategic reserves up to the top, and export American energy all over the world,” he said during his inauguration speech on Monday. Chris Wright, a Denver businessman and Trump’s pick for Energy secretary, will play a key role in carrying out the vision. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
Wright among five Western state citizens nominated to top admin spots in order Monday
Approved, National, Rocky Mountain Voice

Wright among five Western state citizens nominated to top admin spots in order Monday

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice In an order to the U.S. Senate, among President Trump's first actions Monday upon taking office as the 47th President was a listing of his nominees to top positions in the Administration. The complete list was provided in an email to the Rocky Mountain Voice from the White House. Chris Wright of Colorado, the nominee for Energy secretary, was among 22 persons listed from 16 states. Mr. Trump nominated four from New York, three from Texas and two persons each from Florida and Georgia. Wright was the lone nominee from the Centennial state. Five of the 22 nominees come from Western states, including, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., of California, Wright of Colorado, Douglas Burgum of North Dakota, Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon, and Kristi Noem of Sou...