President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for interior secretary told a Senate panel Thursday the U.S. can leverage development of fossil fuels and other energy sources to promote world peace and voiced concerns about the reliability of renewable power sources promoted under the Biden administration.

The former North Dakota governor told senators at his confirmation hearing that he saw limits on energy production as a national security threat.

Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is set to appear before the Senate on Thursday morning to be confirmed as secretary for the Department of Interior.

President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees Scott Bessent, Doug Burgum, Lee Zeldin and Scott Turner will sit for Senate confirmation hearings Thursday.

Latest news and live updates as the Trump administration prepares for office next week. Follow live as Senate confirmation hearings continue for attorney general pick Pam Bondi.

Doug Burgum, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to lead the the Interior Department as Secretary of the Interior, right, arrives with his wife Kathryn Burgum to testify before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington,

Doug Burgum, former North Dakota governor and businessman is President Donald Trump's pick to be Secretary of the Interior. The confirmation hearing is scheduled for Thurs., Jan 16, 2025.

Thursday’s trio of confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees put the focus squarely on Trump’s domestic and economic agenda that will dominate the debates on Capitol Hill this year.

Doug Burgum, incoming President Donald Trump’s pick for Interior Secretary, told Senators Thursday that the nation's federal lands are “America’s balance sheet.” The North Dakota governor, who comes from a business background, said the lands are national assets like those of any private enterprise.

Trump's picks to lead four federal agencies testified without the flashes of anger that marked Pete Hegseth and Pam Bondi's earlier showdowns.

Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Thursday, seeking confirmation as the secretary of the interior.

In a new memo obtained by NBC News, Senate Finance Democratic tax staff found that Scott Bessent avoided over $950,000 of self-employment taxes.