President-elect Donald Trump said he plans to nominate North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a one-time rival for the Republican presidential nomination, to run the Interior Department and help steer the energy policy he’s pledged will drive up oil and gas drilling.

“We’re going do things with energy and with land — Interior — that is going to be incredible,” Trump told an audience at Mar A Lago. Bergum “is going to head the Department of Interior and he’s going to be fantastic.”

Burgum became wealthy from selling his software company, a factor that helped him create a relationship with Trump, who considered Burgum as a potential 2024 running mate.

If confirmed by the Senate, Burgum would manage the more than 500 million acres of federal land as well as the fossil fuels and minerals that lie beneath the surface — making him a critical component […]