US Senate panel to hold hearings on Trump energy picks next week

The U.S. Senate energy committee will hold nomination hearings for President-elect Donald Trump's picks for energy roles on Tuesday and Wednesday next week, the panel's chairman said on Thursday.

The committee will hold a hearing to consider Doug Burgum, Trump's nominee to be secretary of the interior, on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 10 a.m. (1500 GMT). Burgum was until last month the governor of North Dakota, a big oil-producing state.

Burgum is also expected to head a new National Energy Council to coordinate policies to boost U.S. energy production.

The committee will hold a hearing for Chris Wright, the pick for energy secretary, a day later at the same time. Wright, CEO and chairman of the board of Liberty Energy, plans to step down from that role when confirmed as secretary.

The candidates are expected to be confirmed by the Senate, now controlled by Trump's fellow Republicans, as they only require a majority to be confirmed. They are expected to carry out Trump's policies to boost production of oil and gas and rein in President Joe Biden's rules and regulations on climate change.