Document 0og21baQ3zO8e9eLQ3d51K6J

From: Stephanie Voyda <SVoyda@eei.org> To: "Herrington, Lucy R" <lucy_herrington@ios.doi.gov>, "Agen, Jarrod P" <jarrod_agen@ios.doi.gov>, Kristin E Repass <kristin_repass@ios.doi.gov>, Ashley A Johnson <ashley_johnson@ios.doi.gov>, Eric Grey <EGrey@eei.org> Cc: "Fong, Cory" <Cory.Fong@mduresources.com> Subject: [EXTERNAL] Draft Questions for EEI Discussion Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2025 21:05:45 +0000 Importance: Normal Attachments: March_2025_EEI_BOD_Meeting_Draft_Questions_Secretary_Burgum.docx This email has been received from outside of DOI - Use caution before clicking on links, opening attachments, or responding. Good afternoon, In advance of tomorrow's prep call, attached please find draft questions to help guide the discussion. We look forward to speaking with you tomorrow morning. - Stephanie Sierra Club v. Dept of Interior - 3:25-cv-05375-PHK 0000053 SC_EVERSPLIT0013017 EEI March Board of Directors and Chief Executives Meeting A Conversation with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum Thursday, March 6, from 11:25 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET The Waldorf Astoria, Washington, DC--Presidential Ballroom Salons B/C Moderator: Nicole Kivisto, President and CEO, MDU Resources Nicole Kivisto Introduction Throughout this week, many of us in this room have been meeting with members of Congress and Administration officials to educate them on our industry's priority issues. As we've all seen, the new Administration is off to a fast start, with many executive orders and actions potentially impacting our sector directly. To help unpack the Administration's perspective on the energy sector and what we can expect in the weeks, months, and years ahead, I am proud to be joined on stage by a fellow North Dakotan, our state's former governor, and the 55th U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum. Before being named the Trump administration's "energy czar" and serving two terms as North Dakota's governor, Secretary Burgum was a successful businessman and investor, founding the Kilbourne Group real-estate development firm and co-founding venture capital group Arthur Ventures. He invested in Great Plains Software in the 1980s, eventually leading the company before selling it to Microsoft in 2001. Please join me in welcoming Secretary Burgum. Moderated Questions Interior/First Month: As we sit here today, you just crossed the 30-day mark as U.S. Secretary of the Interior. You're also on the President's National Security Council and are helping to lead the new National Energy Dominance Council. This Administration has really hit the ground running, and you certainly have a long list of responsibilities. What has this past month been like from your point of view? What are your top priorities? Are there any issues that you see as lowhanging fruit? Sierra Club v. Dept of Interior - 3:25-cv-05375-PHK 0000054 SC_EVERSPLIT0013018  As a former governor, you bring a unique perspective to the Interior. While our industry has a long track record of building constructive federal partnerships in Washington, we haven't always seen the same sense of urgency reach the regional and state offices of the federal agencies. States play an essential role in supplementing federal policy in so many areas relevant to our industry. How do you see your experience as North Dakota's governor helping to align efforts across government and sync federal and state policy? National Energy Dominance Council: Last month, President Trump established the National Energy Dominance Council, to be led by you and U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. The President has given you the mandate of lowering costs for customers, meeting rising energy demand, strengthening economic security, and cementing the United States as a global energy leader. Let's start with a general question--what does energy dominance mean to you? What can you tell us about the Council and the work you have planned in the months ahead? o Everyone in this room can agree that aligning efforts across government and in partnership with industry is critical to making durable progress. In working with Secretary Wright and as a Cabinet advisor to President Trump, how do you see the Council bringing leadership and discipline to the highest levels of government? Demand growth is clearly on the Administration's radar, and meeting this new demand while keeping costs to customers as low as possible is among our industry's top priorities. To do that, we know that we need to make the most of existing assets while building new energy infrastructure of all kinds. What role do you see yourself and the Council playing in that effort? o How can the people in this room work with you to create American energy jobs and build out the critical energy infrastructure that we need? Wildfires: Turning to another topic that is near and dear to many in this room, I'd like to discuss the issue of wildfires. Communities in and around Los Angeles are still recovering from the devastating fires that we saw earlier this year. This is also an issue that hits you and I as North Dakotans. The western part of our state continues to recover from the historic wildfires of last October. And, as recently as 2021, we saw the town of Medora evacuated over fire concerns. Sierra Club v. Dept of Interior - 3:25-cv-05375-PHK 0000055 SC_EVERSPLIT0013019  Historically, wildfires have been thought of as a West Coast issue. That's not the case anymore. Reducing wildfire risks and ensuring the ability of electric companies to invest in risk mitigation for the safety of their customers is a top industry priority. We view wildfires as a societal problem that requires society-level solutions. As our state's former governor, what do you see as the federal government's role in preventing and helping communities recover from wildfires? Where do you see opportunities for improved coordination among industry and government agencies as all work to prevent wildfires? We've seen great potential in master service agreements, but the pace of getting those agreements finalized has been incredibly frustrating. Do you see a faster approval process for those agreements, or the faster introduction of other tools that can help keep Americans safe? Permitting and Siting: I'd like to turn to permitting and siting, which is an area that you've expressed interest in as governor. Our industry has long advocated for improvements to NEPA and other statutes that have a significant impact on infrastructure deployment. It's often said that our industry thinks in decades, not in months or years, which makes long-term policy certainty important to the people in this room. We're still in the early days of the Administration, but have there been discussions about working with lawmakers to pass durable permitting reform or to more clearly define NEPA implementation? OPEN FLOOR TO AUDIENCE QUESTIONS CLOSING REMARKS: Secretary Burgum, we appreciate your leadership, your insights, and your partnership with our industry. Thank you for joining us today. Sierra Club v. Dept of Interior - 3:25-cv-05375-PHK 0000056 SC_EVERSPLIT0013020