Trump appoints Burgum, a wind power supporter, to a role that could potentially undermine wind energy development.

North Dakota's governor, Doug Burgum, previously boasted about his state's wind energy. However, this stance shifted when he was appointed as Interior secretary.

, and Administrator

2025 September 29 . 3:50 AM

2 min read

Wind energy was lauded by Burgum, but later, he was appointed by Trump to hinder its progress.

Trump appoints Burgum, a wind power supporter, to a role that could potentially undermine wind energy development.

Doug Burgum, the current Interior Secretary, once a moderate governor who avoided culture wars and did not seek to block renewable energy when he was first elected in 2016, has taken a U-turn on wind energy during his tenure as Interior Secretary.

During his time as North Dakota governor, wind power flourished and provided about one-third of North Dakota's net generation in 2022. North Dakota was among the top six states with the largest share of electricity generated by wind. In 2021, Burgum called on his state to reach carbon neutrality by 2030. However, as Interior Secretary, Burgum has expressed doubts about the reliability of wind power, stating that "you don't know when the wind's gonna blow."

Since joining the Trump administration, Burgum has blocked or stalled at least six major wind projects. One of these blocked projects is off the coast of New England, which is 80% complete. The Interior Department has also canceled approvals for a massive onshore wind project in Idaho.

The Interior Department has been aggressive in its attacks on wind generation. Under Burgum's leadership, the department has issued an order that made clear it would now consider as a factor the amount of space a proposed project takes up compared to other energy sources. The department is working to slow additional wind projects by exploring their impact on migratory birds, eliminating policies "biased in favor of wind and solar energy," and weighing whether to remove areas onshore and offshore for wind energy development.

Burgum has repeated his newfound worries about wind energy, claiming it was "unreliable." He has also stated that gargantuan, unreliable, intermittent energy projects hold America back from achieving U.S. Energy Dominance while weighing heavily on the American taxpayer and environment.

However, Burgum's stance on wind energy has changed over the past year due to concerns about environmental impacts and conflicts with other land uses, despite previously being a strong supporter as Governor of North Dakota. North Dakota has enough underground storage space to store "4,400 years' worth of the state's carbon output," according to the governor's office.

Despite the Interior Department's efforts to throttle clean energy projects, there have been instances where stop-work orders have been issued and later lifted. For example, the department issued a stop-work order on an offshore wind project that is 80% complete, but later lifted it. Similarly, the department issued a stop-work order on a New York wind project, but later reconsidered its decision.

In conclusion, Doug Burgum's shift on wind energy from supporter to skeptic has resulted in a series of actions that have stalled or blocked several wind projects since he joined the Trump administration. Despite his concerns about the reliability and environmental impacts of wind energy, Burgum's actions have raised questions about the future of renewable energy in America.