By PEDRO GONZALEZ
Interior Secretary nominee Doug Burgum told a Senate panel on Thursday that he aims for energy dominance and cast concern on the viability of renewable alternatives.
In some ways, the vision presented by the former North Dakota governor was backward-looking in that he left little doubt the incoming White House would revise and undo Biden-era policies. But it also looks ahead into the fast-approaching future.
For example, Burgum said that clean coal could provide power for artificial intelligence as the United States to get and keep the
technological upper hand over its rivals.
“This is part of a larger crisis our nation is facing around electricity. We have a shortage of electricity, and especially we have a
shortage of baseload,” he said. “Without baseload, we’re going to lose the AI arms race to China. And if we lose the AI arms race to China, then that’s got direct impacts on our national security in the future of this country.”
That is consistent with both the priorities and agenda of the next administration, which has vowed to lead on the global stage in both
energy production and technological advancement. Burgum’s selection makes sense in this view.
Burgum’s business background, which preceded his political career, intersected with the tech industry. He was involved with Great Plains Software and, after its acquisition by Microsoft, became senior vice president of Microsoft Business Solutions Group.
Politically, he has tried to take a hybrid stance on fossil fuels and environmentalism. He created a plan to make his state carbon neutral by 2030 through carbon sequestration. It came up during the hearing.
“If we can decarbonize traditional fuels cheaper than we can subsidize some of the renewables, that’s something we should look at,” Burgum said.
There is another area where Burgum could prove an asset to the administration: tribal relations.
“In North Dakota, we share geography with five sovereign tribal nations,” he told the committee. “State and tribal relationships in
North Dakota have sometimes been challenged, but the current partnership is historically strong because we prioritize tribal engagement through mutual respect, open communication, collaboration, and a sincere willingness to listen.”
The Interior Department oversees more than 500 Native American and Alaska Native tribes.
One point of contention arose when Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell asked about what she characterized as his “very aggressive oil and lease strategy.” The Democrat said the priority should be on federal lands that are already leased for oil and gas “that aren’t being used” instead of expanding into new leases.
Burgum replied by pointing out that there is a difference between the law on the books and how it is actually applied with regard to existing leases.
“What I’ve seen in my time as governor is not that we have existing [leases],” Burgum said, “but that we’re actually restricting legal,
legal access for development or timber or oil and gas or whatever on public lands today by illegally not holding the leases that should have been held.”
Burgum said that in one case, North Dakota had to sue the federal government just to “follow the law” on this issue.
The upcoming agenda will include “championing clean air, clean water and protecting our beautiful lands,” according to Burgum. In one response, he tied it into addressing the “mental health and addiction crisis.”
Part of the answer for many people, he said, is “getting that connection back to the outdoors.” As governor, Burgum established the North Dakota Office of Outdoor Recreation.
Pedro Gonzalez writes for Must Read Alaska.
Wow, Governor Doug Burgum is a fresh breath of air if only the state oil and gas leadership thought the way he does, Alaskla would be number one in the nation’s oil production once again, Alaska needs to approve the Greater Point Thomson Unit so Alaskans can have more high paying jobs and help drill and prove up more oil to pay for more money for the PFD and better fund the state’s schools. Interior Secretary nominee Doug Burgum will help make the nation and Alaska great again. Drill Baby Drill and stop the big oil monopolies and let more competitors have Units, not one oil field has ever been able to strive without being in a Unit, the lease promises to provide Units to oil and gas lease owners. Under Alaska oil and gas leasing statute 180 (H) is a work commitment lease and (m) is not a work commitment lease. This is not changed if you follow the law and pay $10,000 to apply for a DNR DOG Unit.
Doug Burgum understands this practice maybe state oil and gas agencies, should take note and keep to the lease” Burgum replied by pointing out that there is a difference between the law on the books and how it is actually applied with regard to existing leases.” Greater Point Thomson Unit applicants want one five-year automatic lease extending under the Unit law, Exxon had almost ten since the Point Thomson Unit was approved in 1978 and only has one well producing after almost 50 years of Unitization and Small oil and gas investors have a hard time getting one simple five year Unit approval to allow the investors to get wells into production, it is so bad and is one of the reasons Alaska has been in decline for decades. Alaska’s oil production is down from two million barrels per day now going toward 400,000 per day as North Dakota surges under good leadership, we pray the Governor of Alaska will change things soon and Greater Point Thomson Unit will be approved so Alaskans can prosper with more Jobs and more Money.
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