Vice President Kamala Harris touted her commitment to clean energy, saying during Tuesday’s debate that the Biden-Harris administration has “increased domestic oil production to the largest extent in history, recognizing that we cannot be overly reliant on foreign oil.”
A longtime climate hawk who has supported the Green New Deal from its inception, Harris’ comments surprised supporters and opponents alike and contradicted frequent boasts by her and President Biden that they are champions in the fight to slow global warming.
After former President Trump withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement on climate change, the Biden-Harris administration rejoined the international pact to reduce emissions. The administration also set a goal of reducing US greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and moved to accelerate renewable energy projects and transition away from fossil fuels.
Republican strategist Liam Donovan said it was notable that during the debate in energy-rich Pennsylvania, Harris “bragged about something President Biden has barely acknowledged: that domestic fossil fuel production under Biden is at an all-time high.” Crude oil production averaged 12.9 million barrels per day last year, surpassing the previous record set in 2019 under the Trump administration, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Donovan, who serves energy clients at the law firm Bracewell, said the comments were “another sign of Harris moving quickly to the center” on energy policy and other issues.
Harris went a step further, rebranding the administration’s signature climate change legislation, the Defeat Inflation Act of 2022, as a boon to fracking and other drilling, thanks to lease-sale requirements that were inserted into the bill by independent Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, who holds a key swing vote in the Senate and is a strong supporter of the fossil fuel industry.
Harris’ comments disappointed some in the environmental community.
“Harris missed a key opportunity to provide a sharp contrast to Trump and show young voters she will stand up to Big Oil and stop the climate crisis,” said Stevie O’Hanlon, spokesman for the Sunrise Movement, a group promoting the Green New Deal.
“Harris has spent more time promoting fracking than she has laying out a bold vision for a clean energy future,” O’Hanlon said. “Younger voters want to see more from Harris on climate change,” she added. “We want to see a realistic plan that’s commensurate with the scale and urgency of this crisis.”
O’Hanlon said her group works to increase voter turnout among young voters, but “we hear it every day: ‘What are the Democrats going to do for us?'” To win, she said, Harris needs to show young people she’s going to fight for them.
Other environmental groups have been less critical, pointing to the looming threat to climate change from Trump, who has rolled back more than 100 environmental protections during his presidency.
“Kamala Harris is the only presidential candidate who is a champion for climate action,” said Alex Glass, president of the liberal advocacy group Climate Power. “Harris has laid out a clear vision for investing in clean energy jobs and lowering costs for working families,” Glass said.
By comparison, Trump “will be at the mercy of his big oil donors,” she said.
Citing Project 2025, a conservative plan written by a Trump ally, Glass said the plan would put millions of clean-energy jobs at risk and allow oil companies to “profit and pollute.” Trump has denied any direct ties to Project 2025 but supports some of its key ideas.
Mike Sommers, president and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, the oil and gas industry’s largest lobbying group, said Harris’ support for fracking reflects the political realities of a close election. “To be elected president in 2024, you have to be in favor of fracking,” Sommers said. “This is good news for the industry and great news for the American consumer.”
When asked why he was so confident about the need to support fracking, Somers answered with one word: “Pennsylvania.”
Not only is Pennsylvania a key battleground state in the election, it’s also “the heart of the natural gas industry in the country,” ranking second only to Texas in total production, Somers said.
“You can’t win Pennsylvania without supporting fracking, and you can’t win the presidency without Pennsylvania,” Somers said.
During the debate, Trump challenged Harris’ claim that she would not seek to ban fracking, but Somers took her at her word and said she welcomed her support for fracking and oil drilling in general.
Asked if he was concerned about Harris’ past actions in suing oil companies, Somers said, “I’m not concerned.” He said the oil and gas industry supports 11 million jobs and that gas prices are “driven by economics — by supply and demand. There’s no mastermind manipulating the price.”
As California’s attorney general, Harris “won tens of millions of dollars in settlements against big oil companies and held polluters accountable,” her campaign said. Her platform includes a promise to “hold polluters accountable and ensure clean air and water for all.”
Trump, meanwhile, has vowed to withdraw unused funds from the Climate Action Act and other programs, said he would target offshore wind projects, and said he would move to restrict onshore oil and gas production if Harris is elected.
“They’re going to destroy our country again. And oil will die, and fossil fuels will disappear,” Trump said.
The president has limited power to restrict fracking, even on federal lands, and would need a congressional act to ban it on private lands.
Jamie Henn, president of the activist group Fossil Free Media, said she supports a ban on fracking but is “not particularly concerned about Harris having to walk a tightrope on fracking or any other energy issue.”
“Her job now is to get elected,” Heng wrote on the social media site X. “That’s the most important ‘policy’ on climate change and other issues. Once she’s in power, they’ll have plenty of time to push her.”
Daly is a contributor to The Associated Press.
