Rick Perry has claimed increasing fossil fuel use in Africa would help prevent sexual assaults following a recent trip where he was analysing the Energy Department's partnerships within the country.
Mr Perry was speaking at an event on Thursday when he told the audience electricity in Africa was important "from the standpoint of sexual assault".
"When the lights are on, when you have light that shines the righteousness, if you will, on those types of acts," he said, according to the BBC.
"So from the standpoint of how you really affect people's lives, fossil fuels is [sic] going to play a role in that."
Mr Perry's claims were labelled "blatantly untrue" by Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune. The Sierra Club is the US's largest grassroots environmental group.
"It was already clear that Rick Perry is unfit to lead the Department of Energy, but to suggest that fossil fuel development will decrease sexual assault is not only blatantly untrue, it is an inexcusable attempt to minimise a serious and pervasive issue," Mr Brune said in a statement.
Mr Perry has a history of skepticism when it comes to climate change.
He has previously said he does not believe carbon dioxide from human activity is the primary reason for climate change.
