Gov. Doug Burgum‘s (R-ND) “all of the above” approach to meeting energy demand may indicate how he will lead as a key player in the incoming Trump administration.
In November, President-elect Donald Trump picked Burgum, a two-term governor, to lead the Department of the Interior. The DOI is a large agency that manages U.S. lands and natural resources. It has over 70,000 employees and 2,400 operating locations across the country.
During an interview on KFYR-TV in December, Burgum said his selection to become interior secretary “reflects the people of North Dakota” in how the state has been able to produce energy and agriculture while maintaining clean air and water.
“This is what we need to do as a country if we’re going to have prosperity at home and peace abroad,” Burgum said.
“We’ve got to get an energy policy in the right direction, and we’ve got to make sure that we’re using the balance sheet of America, which is the over 500 million acres of public land that currently the federal government is managing,” he added.
As governor, Burgum has supported oil and gas but has earned the reputation of supporting renewable solutions such as wind power.
After earning his master’s, Burgum helped start a tech firm in North Dakota, which Microsoft acquired in 2001. Mona Dajani, partner at Baker Botts, said Burgum’s background as a businessman enabled him to bring a business approach to diversifying the economy in North Dakota.
“He’s been a fossil fuel loyalist,” Dajani said. “But he can see that the nation’s energy policy must be premised on the best available information. And I think that he would agree that the need for a shift away to other clean energy alternatives is important.”
According to the Energy Information Administration, in 2023, coal-fired power plants provided 55% of North Dakota’s electricity generation, and wind energy accounted for 36%, the sixth-highest share of wind power for any state.
In 2021, Burgum met with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and emphasized the importance of using an “all of the above” energy approach that includes coal, oil, and gas to meet the nation’s energy needs.
Although Burgum has supported renewable energy sources, Robert Glicksman, an environmental law professor at George Washington University, said Trump does not favor those sources.
Trump has run a campaign to boost oil production, stating that once he is in office, the United States will “drill baby, drill.” The EIA said North Dakota ranks third in the nation in both crude oil reserves and production.
As head of the DOI, Burgum would be expected to promote Trump’s push to expand U.S. oil production and mining on public lands. Burgum will be able to determine which parts of land are open for leasing and development. He will have significant influence as he has been deemed Trump’s next “energy czar.”
The “energy czar” is not an established role within previous administrations. However, past administrations have had various climate czars, such as John Kerry in the Biden administration.
“I don’t think that the designation of somebody as a ‘czar’ really has all that much significance,” Glicksman said. “They don’t have any official responsibilities or authority as climate czar or energy czar. It just depends, more than anything, on how much the person has the President’s ear.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Burgum will also lead the newly founded National Energy Council, which is expected to consist of energy agencies from across the government. The Trump administration said the council will oversee the path to U.S. energy dominance.
Dajani added, “He’s going to have a lot of power with respect to energy development and regulation.”