Wright is the CEO of Liberty Energy, a company that provides services to oil companies.
He is described as a "fracking magnate" – referring to the controversial oil extraction method – and has donated money to Trump's election campaign.
"As energy minister, Chris will be an important leader who promotes innovation, reduces bureaucracy, and initiates a new golden age for American prosperity and global peace", says Donald Trump in a statement.
When the Financial Times wrote about Chris Wright having good chances of being appointed to the post earlier in the week, an appointment of him was described as "a major victory for the American oil industry".
The news agency AFP describes Wright as one of the strongest voices in the energy industry against efforts to combat climate change.
A year ago, he wrote in a post on the LinkedIn platform that there is no climate crisis.
"We are not in the middle of an energy transition either", he wrote.
He also criticized the term carbon dioxide pollution:
"There is no such thing as clean energy or dirty energy, all energy sources have both positive and negative effects on the world", he wrote.
