North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who is set to get the formal nod Friday to lead the Interior Department, will play a key role in pushing President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda to increase oil, gas and coal production on public lands.

During his term as governor, Mr. Burgum was a big booster of oil and gas drilling, leading to an economic boom in his state. However, most of that boom occurred on private land such as the Baker oil field.

As Interior Secretary, Mr. Burgum will help reverse President Biden’s focus on conservative and renewable energy policy implemented by current Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. 

Mr. Burgum, a multimillionaire former software company CEO and two-term governor, launched a bid for the White House in June 2023. He made energy and natural resources the key platform of his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. 

After taking the stage in the first two presidential debates, Mr. Burgum failed to qualify for the third. He dropped out of the race in the fall of last year and quickly endorsed Mr. Trump for the GOP nomination.

Mr. Burgum became a surrogate for Mr. Trump appearing on the campaign trail and in the media on Mr. Trump’s behalf. He also made the short list of potential Trump running mates, a slot that eventually went to Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio. 

If confirmed, Mr. Burgum is expected to emphasize energy independence, economic growth and production of traditional fossil fuels. The presence of Mr. Biden’s trillion-dollar healthcare, tax and climate law will present a complex challenge for Mr. Trump and Mr. Burgum.

The law’s provisions have deeply embedded clean energy investments that would make a full repeal or extensive rollback challenging. With a Republican majority of 53 seats in the incoming Senate, Mr. Trump lacks the supermajority of 60 votes to overcome a filibuster. 

• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.