Here are five figures likely to make headlines on energy and environmental issues in 2025.
Energy czar and Interior secretary nominee Doug Burgum
As chair of a new National Energy Council, former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) is set to broadly coordinate the incoming administration’s energy agenda. If confirmed to lead the Interior Department, he also likely would oversee an increase in oil and gas drilling on federal lands, marking a sharp contrast to the department’s outgoing secretary, Deb Haaland, who has been a major ally within the Biden administration to environmentalists.
North Dakota is the No. 3 state nationwide for crude oil production. Burgum was a high-profile Trump surrogate during the 2024 campaign and reportedly a vice presidential contender. One of the president-elect’s less controversial nominees, he is unlikely to see obstacles to his confirmation.
Energy secretary nominee Chris Wright
Chris Wright, the CEO of fracking giant Liberty Energy, similarly is likely to carry out policy that echoes Trump’s support of the fossil fuel industry if confirmed to lead the Energy Department.
President Biden’s Energy Department, under Secretary Jennifer Granholm, has heavily promoted renewable energy development and expansion of electric vehicles, two frequent targets of Trump’s. The department is likely to abandon those efforts under Wright.
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