Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s Solar Power Misunderstanding Sparks Viral Exchange in Congress

On May 14, 2025, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum demonstrated a fundamental misunderstanding of solar power generation during testimony before the House Natural Resources Committee.

Under questioning from Democratic Representative Jared Huffman, Burgum dismissed solar energy projects in Nevada, stating:

"All of these projects you’re describing in Nevada have one thing in common—when the sun goes down, they produce zero electricity."

Burgum argued that solar power remains unreliable without other energy sources to compensate for its intermittency. Huffman responded with a pointed remark to committee chair Republican Representative Bruce Westerman:

"Mr. Chairman, I request unanimous consent to enter in the record this amazing new technology that apparently the secretary is unaware of: It’s a battery. China’s figured it out. That’s why they’re cleaning our clock on clean energy. But I want to enter that into the record."

The exchange, captured in a tweet by journalist Aaron Rupar, drew a smirk from Westerman. Burgum countered by suggesting China’s status as the world’s largest emitter should also be part of the record, to which Huffman replied that China produces "far more clean energy." Westerman then intervened to conclude the exchange.

Burgum, a former governor of North Dakota, has long-standing ties to the oil and gas industry. His views align with President Trump’s skepticism toward renewable energy, including Trump’s dismissal of climate change as a "con job." Despite his role overseeing federal lands rich in renewable energy potential, Burgum’s comments revealed a lack of awareness about the role of battery storage in stabilizing solar power output.