By Ben Winslow | Fox 13

U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum called for rural America to become a leader in energy development and production.

“When we think about AI and energy development, the future for rural America is super bright, literally bright, because of the role it’s going to play in our country going forward,” he told a crowd at Governor Spencer Cox’s annual One Utah Summit.

Secretary Burgum was to appear in person Tuesday at the annual event at Southern Utah University. However, his trip was canceled because of the ongoing federal government shutdown. Instead, he appeared via a Zoom call with Gov. Cox that was broadcast to an auditorium. The governor praised the Trump administration for what it is trying to do for energy independence.

“Thank you for that vision, Mr. Secretary, it’s music to my ears. We have an abundance mentality here in Utah, and we’re proud to see that that finally coming to to Washington, DC,” the governor told Secretary Burgum

Energy development has been a big push by Gov. Cox’s administration and Republican legislative leaders, who have passed bills to green light many big projects — including nuclear power. Utah has long advocated an “all of the above” approach to energy. But Utah political leaders have also faced criticism about some of their energy pushes and their impact on the state’s environment.

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This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.