By MATTHEW BROWN
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate confirmed Doug Burgum as interior secretary late Thursday after President Donald Trump tapped the North Dakota billionaire to spearhead the Republican administration’s ambitions to boost fossil fuel production.
The vote was 79-18.
Burgum, 68, is an ultra-wealthy software industry entrepreneur who came from a small North Dakota farming community, where he worked at his family’s grain elevator.
He served two terms as governor of the oil-rich state and launched a presidential campaign in 2023, but dropped out months later and quickly endorsed Trump.
Trump also picked Burgum to chair a new National Energy Council that’s tasked with achieving American “energy dominance.” He would have a seat on the National Security Council — a first for the interior secretary.
His directive from Trump is to make it even easier for energy companies to tap fossil fuel resources, including from public lands. That raised alarms among environmentalists and some Democrats as greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels bake the planet.
Burgum eagerly assisted the energy industry during his time as governor, when he was also profiting from the lease of family land to oil companies, according to records obtained by The Associated Press.
During his confirmation hearing, Burgum said the U.S. can use energy development as leverage to promote peace and to lower consumer costs.
He raised concerns about the reliability of renewable power sources promoted under former President Joe Biden, and said the U.S. needs to generate more electricity from sources such as coal and nuclear that can run constantly.
Democrats in response accused the Trump administration of abandoning an “all of the above” energy policy to favor fossil fuels.
“They said wind is dead on the offshore. They are trying to do as much of this as possible to create demand for coal, for fossil gas,” Hawaii Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz said during a Thursday floor speech.
Wyoming Sen….
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