Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is off to a quick start in helping fulfill President Donald Trump’s promise to unleash American energy.
Burgum announced Monday six orders designed to follow through on Trump’s energy agenda by addressing the national energy emergency, unleashing American energy, rolling back regulations, lowering prices, ending bans on offshore drilling, and unleashing Alaska’s resource potential.
“We are committed to working collaboratively to unlock America’s full potential in energy dominance and economic development to make life more affordable for every American family while showing the world the power of America’s natural resources and innovation,” Burgum said in a statement.
“Together, we will ensure that our policies reflect the needs of our communities, respect tribal sovereignty, and drive innovation that will keep the U.S. at the forefront of energy and environmental leadership.”
Formerly the GOP governor of North Dakota, Burgum possesses detailed knowledge of energy policy and was overwhelmingly confirmed by the Senate last week.
The second pillar of Burgum’s day-one agenda establishes that the Trump administration will encourage energy exploration and production on federal lands and waters, consistent with Trump’s day-one executive order on unleashing American energy. He is reversing the Biden administration’s actions to prevent drilling on federal lands and ordered a review of any actions the Department of the Interior might be taking to limit energy production.
For Alaska, Burgum is implementing Trump’s executive order to maximize energy production in the state and reviewing all punitive restrictions that could limit development. He is taking similar actions to overturn the Biden administration’s restrictions on oil and gas drilling in certain parts of the outer continental shelf.
On the regulatory front, Burgum is promising to undo ten regulations for every one that he introduces in accordance with another one of Trump’s executive orders. He will be reviewing all mechanisms for the department to facilitate energy production and expedite existing projects to tackle the national energy emergency Trump declared on day one.
To lower costs, Burgum is focusing on eliminating the Interior Department’s climate policies and reviewing programs that could be responsible for increasing energy prices. Across the board, Burgum’s permissive approach towards energy production and support for streamlining regulations stands in stark contrast to the Biden administration’s hyper-regulation and emphasis on climate change.
One of Trump’s signature campaign promises was to dramatically increase U.S. energy output with the intention of creating jobs and combating inflation. Burgum, along with Energy Secretary Chris Wright, will be a crucial player in turning Trump’s words into reality on the energy issue.