WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President-elect Donald Trump said on Friday that he was creating a National Energy Council to coordinate policies to boost U.S. energy production that will be led by his pick for interior secretary, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.
The National Energy Council will represent federal departments and agencies involved in permitting and regulating all forms of energy, the statement said.
“This Council will oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the Economy, and by focusing on INNOVATION over longstanding, but totally unnecessary, regulation,” Trump said in a statement.
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The news came a day after Trump said Burgum, a wealthy former software executive, would lead the Interior Department. A cabinet post, the interior secretary oversees policies guiding the use of 500 million acres (202 million hectares) of federal and tribal land — including energy and mineral development.
As chair of the National Energy Council, Burgum will also have a seat on the National Security Council.
Burgum’s state of North Dakota ranks third in the nation in crude oil production, behind Texas and New Mexico. It relies heavily on both coal and wind for electricity production.
“Gov. Burgum implemented an energy dominance agenda in North Dakota and is the perfect choice to advance forward President-elect Trump’s agenda on public lands and the nation overall,” Kathleen Sgamma, president of the oil industry trade group Western Energy Alliance, said in an email.
“The simultaneous role as chairman of the National Energy Council is really encouraging, as it shows a focus on what’s the real obstacle—excessive red tape and overregulation.”
Trump said his government would seek to expand energy production, including baseload power to support power demand tied to the development of artificial intelligence, while reducing electricity bills for consumers.
He also said his policies would reduce the national deficit and create jobs while preserving landscapes.
“Doug Burgum will protect our Nation’s Natural Resources, restore our fabulous Oil and Gas advantage, and Make America, and its Energy, Dominant and Great Again!” Trump said.
(Reporting by Eric Beech in Washington and Nichola Groom in Altadena, California; Editing by Caitlin Webber, Jonathan Oatis and Marguerita Choy)
