Gov. Doug Burgum today signed an executive order directing state Cabinet agencies to determine the impacts of recent executive orders issued by the Biden administration on North Dakota’s energy industry and to identify opportunities to challenge federal overreach where necessary.
“The Biden administration’s recent executive orders pose a serious threat to American energy security, our nation’s economic growth and the tens of thousands of North Dakotans whose livelihoods depend on the oil, gas and coal industries. Today we’re directing our state agencies to determine the fiscal, economic and workforce impacts of this regulatory overreach and identify ways to counter these harmful orders, including defending our state’s rights,” Burgum said. “We will pursue all available avenues to ensure that North Dakota remains a powerhouse for the nation and a beacon of innovation, entrepreneurship and responsible, clean energy development.”
“No one cares more about North Dakota’s environment than the people who live here, and we have some of the country’s cleanest air and water to prove it. As the nation’s No. 2 oil producing state and No. 6 energy producer overall, we know that only innovation, not regulation, will provide a viable path forward for stable, low-cost, clean energy. Even if all American greenhouse gas emissions ceased, emissions from developing nations would continue to increase,” Burgum added. “By pursuing an all-of-the-above energy strategy and leading the advancement of innovative technology such as carbon capture, utilization and storage, we can continue to produce clean energy here at home and export these environmentally sound solutions to drive global emissions down.”
The executive order can be viewed here.