Energy addition: the path to a secure and affordable future

In an exclusive interview ahead of ADIPEC 2025, Doug Burgum, the 55th US Secretary of the Interior, and Chairman of the National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC), spoke with Energy Connects to articulate his vision where energy security is a cornerstone of both economic strength at home and strategic partnerships abroad.

Championing the evolution from energy transition to a focus on energy addition, Secretary Burgum highlights how a nation’s prosperity and future are directly linked to its capacity for abundant, affordable, and reliable energy.

Secretary Burgum, you have often spoken about two words that underscore the US energy policy: peace and prosperity. Could you give us more insights?

Energy has always determined the rise and fall of nations throughout history. Today, that still holds true, and nations that are focused on having reliable, affordable energy, are seeing their nations prosper. Others that pursue other priorities around energy are perhaps struggling economically. Electricity now is the new playing field because electricity for first time in human history can be turned into intelligence, converted to intelligence. And when you have that prospect, there's a little bit of who has the most electricity is going to win.

Nations today therefore face a wake-up call on are they going to be able to shift their priorities towards national security, towards reliability, towards affordability of power sources, because that's what we have seen is necessary. The energy policies for the United States under President Donald Trump can be summarised in two simple words. Number one, peace. Number two, prosperity. Together, we can build an energy future that will bring peace and prosperity to the entire world.

Reliability, affordability and diversified supply – those are a key part of the vision for the National Energy Dominance Council. Could you share your thoughts on that?

President Trump wisely created the National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC), but it really isn't about dominance per se – it is all about going beyond independence. It’s not just enough for a country to be energy independent. We wanted to be in a position to help our allies. Dominance is about partnerships, it's about energy abundance, making sure we produce enough electricity in the United States to keep the prices low at home. We've also been supplying energy to our allies. If we have to sum up the President’s energy policy in one sentence, it would be to sell energy to our friends and allies, so they don't have to buy it from our adversaries.

Together, we will ensure that our policies reflect the needs of our communities, strengthen economic security and drive innovation that will keep the US at the forefront of energy and environmental leadership.

The council’s mandates include expanding energy production and addressing cost barriers, as well as cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments, and advancing innovation. Our focus is on how we get the barriers out of the way, how do we help people get more electricity, how do we make sure that the federal government is helping with reliable and diversified supply of energy.

Secretary Burgum, you have emphasised the importance of winning the AI arms race. What shapes your vision when it comes to the deployment of AI and technology?

The AI arms race is really a race to see who can add the most electricity. Because our progress is not about energy transition, this is all about energy addition. We've got to have all forms of energy, which includes oil and gas, nuclear, geothermal, coal, and hydroelectric – we need every possible resource.

I was in tech for most of my life before I got into public service roles, and what I can see is that artificial intelligence has the potential to become the mother of nearly all rapidly accelerating innovation. The industry and the world must get ready for the AI revolution. The rise of data centres marks the next frontier for the expansion of energy – not just in the United States but around the world – and future demand for power is going to be driven by AI.

Finally, what is your message to the global energy industry convening at ADIPEC 2025?

My message to the global industry at ADIPEC this year is clear: we are in a defining decade, and the pace of global progress is being set by energy. The world needs to deliver more energy, not less. The rise of AI, growing demand, and the complexity of the sector across all technologies, markets, and geographies means that we must focus on energy addition. That means adding secure supply, mobilising investment, deploying intelligent solutions, and building resilient systems. The US is committed to leading this global journey, and at ADIPEC, we will share how our energy policies are helping deliver a secure, stable and resilient energy future.