North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, nominated as Interior Secretary, testified at his confirmation hearing on Thursday, urging the United States to invest in “clean coal” to help power the growing artificial intelligence (AI) industry.
Burgum emphasized the need to develop resources like coal and natural gas from federal lands to meet the constant power demands of data centers. He also mentioned carbon capture and sequestration technologies as potential solutions to reduce the environmental impact of these fossil fuels while powering AI.
He explained, “We are facing an electricity shortage, particularly in baseload power. Without it, we risk losing the AI race to China, which directly threatens our national security and future.”
President-elect Donald Trump has expressed plans to make the U.S. a global AI leader, which he believes will require new energy sources, including fossil fuels. Projections suggest AI and data centers will increase U.S. electricity demand after years of stagnant growth.
Although coal is the most carbon-intensive fuel, supporters of carbon capture argue it can reduce its environmental impact. However, the technology is still in early stages and has not yet been widely implemented in the power sector without government subsidies. Burgum has supported this technology, setting a goal for North Dakota to become carbon-neutral by 2030.
Burgum criticized current federal incentives, claiming they disproportionately favor renewable energy sources that cannot provide consistent power. “We’re creating roadblocks for those trying to provide baseload power while giving massive tax incentives to unreliable sources,” he said.
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