LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — President-elect Donald Trump has nominated North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to lead the Department of the Interior. It’s a position that wields considerable power over Nevada, a state where more than 80% of the land is under federal control.
But Burgum’s role will go beyond that as Trump has also set him up as the chair of “the newly formed, and very important, National Energy Council, which will consist of all Departments and Agencies involved in the permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation, transportation, of ALL forms of American Energy,” according to Trump’s statement, released just after noon (PST) on Friday.
The dual responsibilities put Burgum in a key administration role to advance oil and gas production during Trump’s second term. The Biden administration’s efforts to fast-track renewable energy projects could pale in comparison to what Republicans might try to accomplish with oil and gas.
Interest groups are already sounding the alarm about what they describe as Burgum’s “cozy relationship” with big oil.
A handful of news releases — before Trump’s announcement even went out — predicted doom under Burgum’s leadership.
“Doug Burgum comes from an oil state, but North Dakota is not a public lands state. His cozy relationship with oil billionaires may endear him to Donald Trump, but he has no experience that qualifies him to oversee the management of 20 percent of America’s lands,” Center for Western Priorities Executive Director Jennifer Rokala said on Thursday.
“Running the Interior department requires someone who can find balance between recreation, conservation, hunting, ranching, mining, and—yes—oil drilling. If Doug Burgum tries to turn America’s public lands into an even bigger cash cow for the oil and gas industry, or tries to shrink America’s parks and national monuments, he’ll quickly discover he’s on the wrong side of history.”
Another group, Evergreen Action, labeled Burgum a “willing stooge” for the big oil agenda.
“His cozy relationship with fossil fuel executives, including efforts to broker a $1 billion quid-pro-quo fundraising scheme for Trump’s campaign at Mar-a-Lago, makes it clear where his priorities lie,” according to Lena Moffitt, executive director of Evergreen Action.
“This nomination isn’t about protecting public lands or communities — it’s about securing a blank check for corporate polluters to rig the system in their favor. As interior secretary, Burgum would turn the agency into a tool for fossil fuel corporations to exploit public resources, worsening climate disasters and increasing deadly pollution. The American people deserve leaders who will fight for them—not for corporate greed and special interests.”
An account of Burgum’s record published today by The Hill indicates he supports climate action, but not at the expense of reducing fossil fuel use. Instead, he touts carbon capture and storage technology to reduce or offset fossil fuel emissions.
Burgum, 67, was elected North Dakota governor in 2016, his first campaign for elected office. A former software executive, he led Great Plains Software, which Microsoft acquired for $1.1 billion in 2001. Burgum has also led other companies in real estate development and venture capital.
The last several years in Nevada have marked an increase in conflicts between federal efforts to develop energy on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) property. The Endangered Species Act is in the spotlight as Australian mining company Ioneer starts its development of the Rhyolite Ridge lithium mine. More concerns are arising around groundwater resources as lithium exploration continues around the state.
All of those conflicts surround the Biden administration’s prioritization of developing renewable energy. Now the emphasis is likely to shift back to developing oil and gas.
One of the phrases commonly heard during Trump’s campaign: “Drill baby drill.”
North Dakota has the third-highest oil production and the seventh-highest coal production in the nation.
Trump accused the “radical left” of engaging in a war on American energy, in the name of fighting climate change. His policy of energy dominance, which he also espoused during his first term, will allow the U.S. to sell oil, gas and other forms of energy to European allies, making the world safer, Trump said.
Trump has called oil and natural gas, along with minerals such as lithium and copper, “liquid gold” that should be exploited to the maximum extent possible.
Trump’s first term brought attempts to roll back decisions on national monuments. The newly created Avi Kwa Ame National Monument south of Las Vegas has been criticized by Republicans. Conservation groups have pushed the BLM to put overdue management plans in place at Gold Butte and Basin and Range national monuments.
Republicans and Democrats worked together to free up BLM land in the Las Vegas valley to help build affordable housing projects, and those efforts could gain more momentum under Republican leadership.
The watchdog group Accountable noted Burgum’s record of cutting taxes that oil companies paid to develop mineral resources in North Dakota.
“Governor Burgum’s cozy relationship with big oil spells danger for America’s taxpayers and the great outdoors,” Tony Carrk, Accountable.US executive director, said. “Americans deserve leaders who prioritize protecting public land for everyone, not for oil and gas profiteering.”
Pro-Burgum comments posted on X asked for swift action to roll back changes to royalty rates under Biden’s leadership, as well as increased fees surrounding oil and gas exploration and production on public lands.
In addition to the new direction under Burgum, agencies including the BLM and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation could face attacks from the new Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”) headed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
Reclamation is currently under the leadership of Camille Calimlim Touton, a UNLV graduate. The change in administration is likely to impact how Reclamation proceeds on a plan for the future of the Colorado River.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
