Bloomberg Talks US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum Talks State of the Union, AI Race
Feb 25, 2026
Doug Burgum, U.S. Secretary of the Interior and former North Dakota governor, focused on energy and infrastructure. He discusses enabling off-grid power for data centers. He connects energy abundance to U.S. competitiveness in AI and manufacturing. He stresses 24/7 baseload power over intermittent foreign supplies.
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Energy Abundance As A Competitive AI Advantage
- Energy abundance is central to winning the AI race because electricity can be converted directly into intelligence.
- Doug Burgum says countries and regions with ample, affordable, and secure power will attract AI and advanced manufacturing investment.
Enable Off Grid Power For Large Data Centers
- Allow hyperscalers to build off-grid power for their data centers to avoid burdening local grids and ratepayers.
- Burgum cites North Dakota's $1.2 billion data center example where a large industrial buyer lowered local electricity rates.
Energy Addition Not Transition
- Burgum rejects the notion of an 'energy transition' as replacing base load with intermittent foreign sources, calling it unrealistic.
- He emphasizes 'energy addition' and selling U.S. energy to allies to reduce reliance on adversaries.