Apr 5, 2025 By Brad Hundt 3 min read

At an event that sometimes had the feel of a campaign rally, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum told local workers in the energy industry Thursday afternoon that their labors are vital to national security and the country’s prosperity.

“Energy dominance is about prosperity at home and peace abroad,” said Burgum at the Range Resources field office in Chartiers Township. Along with leading the Interior Department, Burgum also chairs the National Energy Dominance Council, which President Trump launched shortly after taking office in January.

On a visit to Washington County that also included a visit to a fracking site near Claysville, Burgum talked up the Trump administration’s energy policies, which have been supportive of the fossil fuel industry and largely hostile to renewables. Burgum called natural gas “clean” and “affordable,” and that it was necessary to have low-priced electricity.

“We do it cleaner, smarter, safer and healthier than anywhere else on the planet,” Burgum explained.

Criticizing the Biden administration, Burgum told the audience of about 400 people, “We’re trying to put some wind in your back instead of in your face.”

Along with employees of the energy industry, there were several elected officials in the audience, including Washington County commissioners Nick Sherman and Electra Janis. It had the trappings of a campaign rally, with banners saying “Unleash American Energy,” and energetic classic-rock and country songs playing on the sound system before Burgum and other speakers took the stage.

Burgum, who will be 69 in August, became wealthy after investing in a software company which he sold to Microsoft in 2001. He was elected governor of North Dakota and reelected in 2020. He launched a presidential bid in the 2024 cycle, but dropped out in December 2023 before any votes were cast. He was among the candidates Trump was considering to be his running mate before he settled on JD Vance.

Despite being in the thick of things in the Trump administration – Burgum said he talked to the president in the Oval Office on Wednesday – he said that “any day like this is better than a day in D.C.”

He also told the audience, “You’re on the right side of where this country needs to go.”

Security was tight at the event, with security personnel perched on the roofs of surrounding buildings. Toby Rice, the president and CEO of the energy company EQT, said that the audience was sitting in “the most secure facility in America” because of what it represents for the country’s energy security.

“I’m not talking about the snipers on the roof,” Rice said.

Burgum’s stop in Washington County was not greeted with universal applause, however. The Washington-based Center for Coalfield Justice criticized Burgum for not meeting with any families it said were affected by fracking.

“It is telling that government representatives will come to Southwestern Pennsylvania to meet with the CEOs who will profit greatly from increased fossil fuel production, but refuse to meet with impacted residents who have genuine concerns,” said Jodi Borello, community organizer with the Center for Coalfield Justice, in a statement released by the group. “These residents have asked repeatedly for someone to talk to them and to care about the issues they’re facing, but their requests have continued to fall on deaf ears.”