North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who has championed biofuels as well as his state’s oil and coal industries, will serve as energy czar in the Trump administration in addition to running the Interior Department, President-elect Donald Trump announced Friday.
In a statement released by the Trump transition office, Trump said Burgum would chair “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.”
Trump had announced Thursday night that Burgum would be nominated as interior secretary.
“As Chairman of the National Energy Council, Doug will have a seat on the National Security Council. As Secretary of the Interior, Doug will be a key leader in ushering in a new 'Golden Age of American Prosperity' and World Peace,” Trump said in the statement.
Burgum, who ran unsuccessfully for president in the GOP primary before endorsing and campaigning for Trump, touted the role of rural America in energy production during a speech at the Republican National Convention.
"As all of you know, it's rural America that feeds the world, that fuels the world and defends the world. Small towns with a huge impact. And rural America is Trump country,” Burgum said.
Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, welcomed the announcement.
“We applaud the formation of the National Energy Council and the appointment of Governor Burgum as its chairman. He fully understands the importance of adopting an all-of-the-above energy strategy that includes renewable fuels, carbon capture and sequestration, and other innovative approaches to American energy and economic security.
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“We look forward to working with him in this new capacity. For far too long, federal agencies have operated in siloes when it comes to energy policy and regulation — we are excited by the prospect of bringing better coordination and collaboration to these important issues.”
The National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association said of Burgum in a statement, "America is at an energy crossroads and the reliability of the electric grid hangs in the balance. We look forward to working with him on a pro-energy policy agenda that eliminates regulations currently jeopardizing affordable and reliable electricity."
North Dakota is home to Basin Electric Power Cooperative, which supplies power to 3 million customers across nine states.
North Dakota is the third largest U.S. producer of oil as well and a significant producer of coal. The state has five ethanol plants as well as biodiesel and renewable diesel facilities and grows corn, soybeans and canola.
Burgum also has championed his state's potential role for sequestering carbon dioxide.
On Friday, the North Dakota Public Service Commission approved a pipeline that Summit Carbon Solutions plans to terminate in the state. The pipeline would sequester carbon dioxide from ethanol plants throughout the upper Midwest.
