Trump Picks Doug Burgum for Interior Secretary and "Energy Czar"

President-elect Donald Trump announced he will nominate North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum for Secretary of the Department of the Interior as well as a newly created role tasked with "unleashing American energy dominance."

The Details: Trump also announced Burgum will lead a newly-created National Energy Council bringing together all federal agencies involved in regulating energy industries. If confirmed for Interior Secretary, Burgum will be responsible for decisions about how federal lands should be used. Outlets across the spectrum agreed that Trump expects Burgum to designate more federal land for oil production and reduce regulatory barriers for oil and gas. As governor of North Dakota, Burgum has championed carbon capture and storage as a way to fight climate change without removing fossil fuels from the nation's energy mix; it's unclear whether or how that will factor into his roles.

How the Media Covered It: Washington Post (Lean Left bias) noted Burgum's "deep connections to... oil industry CEOs" and wrote, "Trump has been transparent about what he expects from Burgum: an evisceration of the rules and policies that speed the nation’s shift away from fossil fuels and toward cleaner energy sources." The Hill (Center) predicted Trump is "likely to open up many more opportunities to drill in public lands and offshore — though it will be up to privately owned companies whether they want to seize those opportunities." In contrast, New York Post (Lean Right) said Burgum would be central to realizing "Trump’s promise to cut energy and electricity costs by 50%."