Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Energy Dominance, Critical Minerals, and Intelligence Factories
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum
Love the episode? Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The U.S. Department of the Interior manages the nation’s most consequential assets—public lands and waters, energy resources, and critical minerals—making it a crucial center for AI capabilities, national security, and workforce opportunity.
In this episode of The TechEd Podcast, host Matt Kirchner sits down with Doug Burgum, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, to connect the dots between Interior's responsibilities and the next generation of innovation in the U.S. Today, Interior manages 500 million acres of public land, plus subsurface and undersea resources, territories, and the nation’s historic sites, national parks, Fish & Wildlife, and offshore energy footprint.
All of those resources are tied to America's opportunity to innovate in areas like artificial intelligence. Secretary Burgum frames AI data centers as “intelligence factories”, industrial-scale facilities that convert electricity into intelligence, and argues the next wave of competitiveness will be decided by scalable energy and the materials supply chain behind it.
We get into rare earth minerals, nuclear power, the tech and energy race with China, and the opportunities for today's students to pursue cutting-edge careers.
The episode also widens the lens to the country’s long-term innovation narrative. Burgum ties today’s tech inflection point to America 250 and the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library—a reminder that public lands, history, and national ambition can be part of how we inspire the next generation to build.
In this episode:
- The shift from AI as software to AI as physical infrastructure — and why land, power, and materials suddenly matter
- Why data centers are becoming “intelligence factories” — and what that changes about how AI scales
- The truth about rare earth minerals — (why they aren’t actually "rare") and why processing is the real bottleneck
- The nuclear energy race with China — and why speed, not discovery, is the deciding factor
- Where the real career opportunities are emerging — far beyond software, deep into energy, minerals, and infrastructure
Watch the Full Episode on YouTube
Resources in this Episode:
Visit the U.S. Department of the Interior
More resources from this episode:
- Bureau of Indian Education
- Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library
- Demystifying Nuclear Power: Recommissioning, SMRs, and a Clean Energy Future - Patrick O'Brien, Director of Government Affairs and Communications at Holtec International
- At the Reagan Ranch: The Life & Legacy of One of America's Greatest Presidents - Scott Walker, President of Young America's Foundation
- Breakneck by Dan Wang
Connect with Department of the Interior Online:
You might also like...
What our listeners are saying
The #1 podcast in TechEd
This podcast is a great resource to keep up with all the exciting changes in the world of manufacturing and technology. Get key insight from industry leaders from the Midwest and around the globe that you won’t find anywhere else. A must listen for anyone interested in how technology is changing the way businesses operate.
The pulse of Industry 4.0
This podcast has its fingers on the pulse of Industry 4.0, and Matt K. is a phenomenal guide, traversing the complexities of manufacturing and education in one forum. A+ work all around!
Compelling
I find Matt's approach to be very compelling. He brings both perspectives, industry AND education. He doesn't hold back on what he thinks is important...
New and Exciting Content With Every Episode
I really enjoy listening to this podcast when I'm driving or have a free moment. Each episode brings a new guest with a fresh and exciting perspective of both education and the workforce!
I needed this podcast back when I was in High School!
Such great content that deserves more attention at all level of education. I wish I heard some of these episodes when I was navigating my own career path. Incredible guests, with incredible messages to share. Keep up the great work!
Inspiring topics featuring inspiring leaders
I’ve listened to most of your weekly podcasts and enjoy listening to the stories and conversations that feature business and education leaders from Wisconsin. Kudos to you for creating a platform that presents ideas and success stories that are important to Career and Technical Education teachers and leaders.
Best Career and TechEd Podcast
There are a lot of education podcasts out there. This is the only one that really focuses on bringing together voices from inside AND outside education and focuses specifically on STEM and Career/Tech Ed. This is a great podcast for anyone in education and also for anyone who employs STEM or skilled-trades talent in their workforce.
Filling in Gaps
This show spotlights a large and growing aspect of education that doesn’t get enough attention. Practical and technical education is a field growing exponentially. This podcast Highlights many of the facets of this diverse field.
Fantastic Topics on the Future of Industry
These podcasts are the best for learning about current and future technology. The stories are great. We need more of these interviews.