Senate Energy Committee hears Chris Wright; nominee vows to "unleash American energy," back national labs and grid investments

Senator Mike Lee, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, opened the first hearing of the 119th Congress by introducing Chris Wright as the nominee for secretary of energy and stressing the "privilege" and urgency of the moment in U.S. energy policy.

The hearing's central question was how Wright, a longtime energy entrepreneur, would balance expanding domestic energy supply, protecting national security missions carried out by the Department of Energy's laboratories, and enforcing ethical and legal standards if confirmed. Wright described himself as a "science geek, turned tech nerd, turned lifelong energy entrepreneur" and said he would work to "unleash American energy at home and abroad" while accelerating research and rebuilding critical infrastructure.

Why it matters: The Department of Energy oversees a broad portfolio that includes the national laboratory system, the National Nuclear Security Administration and programs aimed at building transmission,…