Doug Burgum, Trump's pick for public lands boss, questions reliability of renewable power

By MATTHEW BROWN, JENNIFER McDERMOTT and JACK DURA
Associated Press
President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for interior secretary told a Senate panel Thursday the U.S. can leverage development of fossil fuels and other energy sources to promote world peace and voiced concerns about the reliability of renewable power sources promoted under the Biden administration.

Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum described Trump's aspiration to achieve U.S. "energy dominance" as a way to counter demand for fossil fuels from autocratic nations — Russia, Iran and Venezuela — that have fewer environmental safeguards.

Burgum also said the U.S. needs to make more "baseload" electricity from coal and other sources as it seeks to power data centers for the nation's tech industry. If confirmed, Burgum would become the chief steward of federal lands.

"This is something that is critical to our national security," Burgum said. "Without baseload we're going to lose the AI arms race to China."

The Republican's security claims were challenged by Hawaii Democrat Sen. Mazie Hirono who said military leaders have described global warming as a threat that could trigger instability and wars.

"For you to take a position that you are going to engage in actions that result in burning more fossil fuels is troubling," Hirono said.

Fossil fuels — oil, natural gas and coal — cause climate change. When they burn, greenhouse gases are released. Asked if he thinks climate change is a problem, Burgum said he believed it's a "global phenomenon."

The Interior Department oversees a half-billion acres of federal land and vast areas offshore. Combined those areas produce about one-quarter of U.S. oil, or more than 1 billion barrels of crude annually, making them a flashpoint in the debate over how to address climate change.

President Joe Biden's administration scaled back new oil and gas sales from public reserves as part of its efforts to curb climate change. Nevertheless, oil production hit record levels under the Democrat as high prices spurred drilling on lands that were previously leased.

Trump has vowed to increase drilling for oil and gas. And he's been hostile to renewable energy including offshore wind. Burgum said Thursday that he wouldn't try to convince his boss about its benefits.

Sen. Angus King, I-Maine noted that North Dakota gets more than one-third of its electricity from onshore wind turbines.

Burgum replied that the electric grid needs more resources that provide power continuously, as opposed to "intermittent" sources such as solar and wind that fluctuate.

"We've got massive tax incentives for people that want to do intermittent" power, Burgum said. "The balance is out of whack."

Trump has vowed to end the offshore wind industry when he returns to the White House. Trump tasked Rep. Jeff Van Drew, who is a vocal critic of offshore wind, with writing an executive order he could issue to halt wind energy projects. The New Jersey Republican told The Associated Press Wednesday that he emailed that draft order to Burgum.

King also asked Burgum if he would commit to continuing with offshore wind leases that have been issued. Burgum said projects already approved that make sense will continue.

Burgum is an ultra-wealthy software industry entrepreneur who grew up in a small North Dakota farming community working at his family's grain elevator. The two-term governor of the oil-rich state endorsed Trump after ending his own 2024 presidential bid.

Trump in November tapped him to be interior secretary and to chair a new energy council charged with promoting oil and gas development. The council could play a key role in Trump's effort to sell more oil and other energy sources to allies in Europe and around the globe.

Burgum as governor outlined plans to make the state carbon neutral by 2030. And he touted a pipeline that would be used to capture and store greenhouse gases that fuel climate change. Burgum told lawmakers Thursday the U.S. has an opportunity to remove the carbon from burning fossil fuels while promoting new development.

"If we can decarbonize traditional fuels cheaper than we can subsidize some of the renewables, that's something we should look at," he said.

Carbon-capture skeptics say the technology is untested at scale and allows the fossil-fuel industry to continue largely unchanged.

The Interior Department's mandate extends beyond fossil fuels to include grazing, mining, fish and wildlife conservation, the National Park system and has oversight responsibilities for more than 500 Native American and Alaska Native tribes.

Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee, chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, questioned Burgum about the expansion of national monuments, including Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante in his home state, under the Antiquities Act.

The monuments were created over the objections of state officials. Burgum appeared to sympathize with Lee's concerns. The nominee said the original intent of the 1906 law was for "Indiana Jones-type archaeological protections" of objects within the smallest possible area.

Burgum later touted the many potential uses for public lands including recreation, logging and oil and gas production that can boost local economies.

"Not every acre of federal land is a national park or a wilderness area. Some of those areas we have to absolutely protect for their precious stuff, but the rest of it – this is America's balance sheet," he said.

US Interior Secretary Deb Haaland reflects on tough choices during a historic tenure

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — It started to get real when the artwork was taken down from her office walls. The collection — all creations of Indigenous artists — had been handpicked by U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland over the last four years as she guided one of the nation's most expansive federal agencies.

Then came the tears as people came and went, sharing hugs while Haaland tried to wrap up her last day at the office.

She set out four years ago on a historic journey as the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary. She came in with a series of seemingly simple but ambitious goals: address the climate and biodiversity crisis, make the outdoors accessible to more people, lift the veil on a difficult chapter in American history, and usher in a new era for Indian Country.

From energy development on public lands and securing water resources amid ongoing drought to making good on the nation's promises to Native Americans, Haaland vowed to take a balanced approach — and to listen. She told The Associated Press in an interview Friday that she feels she lived up to that vow.

Haaland believes President Joe Biden nominated her for the job because he wanted a cabinet that reflected America. As a member of Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico, Haaland brought a different perspective — one never before infused into decision-making at that level.

"I really felt like I relied on the way I was raised, on my cultural wellbeing, the traditional aspects of who I am. I'm a pueblo woman first," she said, "and I see things through that lens."

Drill? Not so fast, baby
Even during her time in Congress, Haaland wasn't shy about voicing opposition to oil and gas and supporting the Green New Deal. She was grilled during congressional hearings about her "radical views," with Republicans suggesting the administration's distaste for drilling would cost the country jobs and compromise national security.

In his first days in office, Biden shut down oil and gas lease sales from the nation's vast public lands and waters, citing worries about climate change. Haaland's agency was charged with doing a comprehensive review. Court wrangling ensued, resulting in an indefinite delay in planned oil and gas lease sales on public lands in a half-dozen states in the West.

Despite campaign promises to end new drilling on federal lands, leasing resumed and production reached record levels during the Biden administration, with the U.S. now producing more than ever before.

Haaland acknowledged production was high during her tenure, but she noted that it came with nearly four dozen new renewable energy projects on federal lands and the conservation of more than 1 million square miles (2.7 million square kilometers).

Some federal land was taken off the board through administrative withdrawals, like that in northwestern New Mexico where some tribes advocated for greater protections for areas beyond the boundaries of Chaco Culture National Historical Park.

"As it turns out, you don't have to lease millions and millions of acres," Haaland said. "We really worked at zeroing in on where these leases should happen so that we can ensure that other land is open to conservation."

For the love of bears and beyond
Haaland co-sponsored legislation while in Congress to increase protections for grizzly bears and reintroduce them on tribal lands. It was a fight that continued while she was secretary. Just this month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced continued protections for grizzly bears in the Rocky Mountains despite opposition from Republican-led states.

Haaland sees threats to biodiversity and climate change as twin challenges, as rising temperatures, drought and wildfires put more pressure on endangered and threatened species and their homes.

As part of an effort to protect more species and provide more wildlife viewing opportunities, Haaland created six national wildlife refuges and expanded the boundaries of five more during her tenure. Species that made enough progress to have protections removed included the Apache trout — Arizona's state fish — and the snail darter.

For Haaland, her advocacy is deeply rooted, stemming from ancestors who served as the first stewards of the land.
"I stand on the shoulders of so many people that have spoken out for the Earth and its animals, who stood up for Indian Country, for women, for civil rights," she said.

New era for Indian Country
From the start, Haaland wanted to usher in what she called a new era for Indian Country. That meant honoring and elevating tribal sovereignty. Not with words but with actions, she said.

Native American leaders have long considered the consultation process a check-the-box exercise for the federal government. So Haaland established a tribal advisory committee within her department, while Biden issued mandates for prioritizing and standardizing consultation across federal agencies.

The administration reached 400 co-stewardship agreements with tribes, ensuring their role in land management. And new national monuments were created, setting aside ancestral lands across the western U.S., from the edge of the Grand Canyon to sandstone landscapes in Utah and palm-tree dotted deserts in California.

Haaland also pointed to record investments of nearly $45 billion for tribal infrastructure projects and social programs. This came after decades of underfunding, neglect and oppression, she said.

"You can't right every single wrong in just four years. These things are going to have to be ongoing," Haaland said, encouraging tribal leaders to stay vocal and maintain a seat at the table.

Haaland is keenly aware that Indian Country isn't a monolith, as each of the 574 federally recognized tribes has its own culture, beliefs and needs. There were times when tribal leaders spoke out, saying Haaland was ignoring concerns about the potential effects of mining or renewable energy projects on sacred places.

A painful chapter of history
One of her greatest accomplishments was shining a light on a relatively untold part of America's history — a dark period in which Native American children were ripped away from their families and carted off to boarding schools for reprogramming.

Haaland has talked about her own grandparents being victims of the campaign to erase language, culture and identity.
She launched a first-of-its kind initiative to uncover the scope of the damage done by the boarding schools. The heartbreaking work involved combing through millions of documents and holding listening sessions where community members struggling with generational trauma shared their experiences.

Haaland's department turned out major reports that identified the schools that had government support and uncovered the fates of hundreds of children who never returned home. The final volume listed policy recommendations to aid in healing.

Those recommendations were turned over to the White House, with Haaland saying she had no idea the outcome would be so profound. She didn't call the president and make a special request. Instead, Biden's team called immediately and said the president wanted to issue an apology.

Haaland joined Biden at the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona for the announcement.

She reflected on that moment during a farewell address last week before a packed auditorium of employees, tribal leaders and others. She said she could feel the power of those who persevered through unthinkable odds so she and others could stand there that day.

Haaland chalks up her own perseverance to community, saying things can be accomplished only when people work together. She pointed to her pueblo ancestors centuries ago gathering millions of pounds of stone, mixing mortar and hauling water to construct one of the great houses at the Chaco park.

"I thought about the weight of their legacy," she said, "a weight that, while heavy, has motivated me to lead this department, which just a few generations ago tried to erase Indigenous peoples and our ways of life."