Chris Wright is Wrong. The Cost of Climate-Fueled Extreme Weather Is Too High.

Washington, D.C.  — Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright is on a full-blown climate-denial media tour, following the release of the DOE’s report that attacks decades of established climate science. Now, he’s again manipulating science to falsely imply that the danger and cost of climate-fueled extreme weather isn’t that severe. He’s wrong. 

Climate Power Senior Advisor for Climate Urgency Sarah Galvez issued the following statement: “It’s dangerous and completely absurd for Chris Wright to pretend that climate-fueled extreme weather is not that severe. How many once-in-a-century storms will it take before you realize that extreme weather is getting worse? Meanwhile, Trump is gutting the programs that actually keep Americans safe and help communities respond during disasters. Trump and Wright are actively making the problem worse while trying to convince us it doesn’t exist. It’s ridiculous.” 

Here are the facts: 

FACT: In 2024, the United States experienced its second-highest number of billion-dollar extreme weather events with 27 billion-dollar climate-related disasters—the fourth-costliest year on record. 

FACT: Thanks to climate change, once-in-50-year heat waves are now happening every decade. Climate change makes extreme heat waves hotter, longer, and more frequent – directly threatening our health, safety, and economic security. 

FACT: During the past four decades, climate change has made hurricanes more intense and destructive.

FACT: Climate change has led to larger and more severe wildfires, which put lives at risk and have significant public health, socioeconomic, and environmental impacts. 

FACT: As of July 8, 2025, 30 points across the country had experienced 1-in-1,000-year rainfall events. In all of 2024, there were just 35 events.

FACT: After extreme weather events, major insurers are increasingly no longer offering coverage that homeowners in areas vulnerable to disasters need most. Between 2020 and 2023, homeowners’ insurance premiums increased by more than 30 percent. 

Trump’s reckless policies are making it even worse: 

FACT: Trump gutted weather forecasting, putting at risk the life-saving alerts that communities rely on during extreme weather. 

FACT: Trump’s staffing cuts have halted or reduced weather balloon launches in at least 11 locations across the country, threatening forecast accuracy and putting Americans facing floods, tornadoes, and other extreme weather at increased risk.

FACT: Trump gutted programs and stalled funding that supported communities to prepare for and mitigate extreme weather.

FACT: As wildfires become more frequent and destructive, Trump’s cuts have weakened our wildfire response. 

FACT: Trump’s cuts are delaying life-saving disaster response. During the Texas severe flooding in July, which killed 137 people, Trump’s cuts delayed critical search and rescue efforts for three days – putting more lives at risk – and left thousands of calls from flood survivors unanswered.  

FACT: Trump’s tariffs will increase the costs of materials, like lumber and steel, necessary for disaster recovery and rebuilding. Costlier repairs will mean higher premium rates for consumers.