Doug Burgum Confirmed as Interior Secretary: A New Path for American Energy Infrastructure

Last Thursday, the Senate confirmed Doug Burgum as the new Secretary of the Interior. The former Governor of North Dakota, who was selected by President Trump to advance the administration’s energy abundance agenda, secured strong bipartisan support with a 79-18 vote. More than half of Senate Democrats joined all 53 Republicans in backing his nomination. As Secretary, Burgum will oversee efforts to boost domestic energy production, manage public lands, and ensure the responsible stewardship of the nation’s natural resources.

In his new role, Secretary Burgum will also head the National Energy Council, granting him a seat on the National Security Council and giving him oversight of the nation’s path to U.S. energy dominance.  A major part of that effort will focus on energy infrastructure ensuring that the process to permit and build new pipelines is streamlined and no longer fraught with uncertainty.

Pipeline congestion is becoming a growing concern in the United States. For example, in the Permian Basin, the top oil-producing region in the U.S, key pipelines that transport oil from the basin to the Port of Corpus Christi are already over 90% full, with capacity expected to reach 94-95% by mid-2025. This comes at a time when U.S. oil production is reaching record highs, with the Permian Basin accounting for nearly half of the nation’s output. With rising global demand, the limited pipeline capacity threatens to cap U.S. oil exports, leaving the market vulnerable to price shocks from geopolitical events like the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The lack of new pipeline capacity is also an issue in the Northeast. The U.S. Northeast is relying on LNG imports to meet its natural gas needs due to a lack of sufficient pipeline capacity to transport gas from neighboring Pennsylvania, home to the Marcellus Basin’s vast natural gas reserves. New York has been particularly restrictive on pipeline construction with regulatory delays and protracted legal battles that have prevented the development of necessary pipeline infrastructure in the region. With new energy infrastructure, the Marcellus Basin could be supplying the Northeast with  natural gas.

In recent years, environmentalists have organized numerous public protests against pipelines, many of which ended with unlawful actions and subsequent arrests. Alongside these demonstrations, environmental groups have engaged in “lawfare” against new energy infrastructure projects, abusing the Clean Water Act and other environmental laws in attempts to block pipeline construction. These legal battles and permitting delays have led to higher energy prices, increased vulnerability to geopolitical disruptions, and billions of dollars in lost investments for American energy companies.

Take the Mountain Valley pipeline, for example: it was tied up in legal disputes for years before Congress intervened in 2023, directing federal regulators to approve its permits. Other significant projects, such as the Atlantic Coast and Constitution pipelines, were eventually abandoned after protracted legal fights.

Secretary Burgum is no stranger to pipeline disputes, having played a supportive role during the protests against the Dakota Access pipeline in his home state of North Dakota. At the time, Burgum recognized the project’s benefits, highlighting that it had been legally permitted and emphasizing that pipelines are the safest method for transporting oil and natural gas. The state also supported or was a plaintiff against the federal government in nearly 40 lawsuits challenging federal policies that eventually blocked the pipeline.

As Secretary of the Interior and as the head of the National Energy Council, Doug Burgum is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of U.S. energy policy. With his experience in navigating complex energy issues and his commitment to enhancing domestic energy production, Burgum’s leadership promises to streamline infrastructure projects and reduce regulatory hurdles that have hindered progress in the past. His focus on promoting energy abundance will be critical as the nation seeks to strengthen its energy independence and economic resilience.