The U.S. oil industry and Republican leaders are pressuring Kamala Harris to clarify her stance on energy and climate policy as she navigates the delicate balance of appealing to her progressive base without alienating voters in key swing states like Pennsylvania, a major hub for shale production.
On Thursday, the Vice President announced that she no longer supports a ban on fracking, the controversial technology that fueled the shale boom. However, this shift has not silenced criticism from Donald Trump or industry leaders, who argue that Harris’s policies could harm the nation’s oil and gas sector.
Executives from the two largest U.S. oil lobby groups are urging Harris to take clear positions on whether she would continue or end the pause on federal approvals for new liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants, as well as whether she supports the drilling restrictions implemented by the Biden administration.
“Given her previous positions and legislative history, Harris has consistently taken a stance that is seen as aggressively anti-energy and anti-oil and gas,” said Anne Bradbury, CEO of the American Exploration and Production Council. “These are critical policy issues that affect every American family and business, and voters deserve clarity as they make their choice in November.”
Mike Sommers, head of the American Petroleum Institute, the most influential oil lobby group, called on Harris to state whether she would maintain the Biden administration’s policies, which he claims have unleashed an unprecedented “regulatory onslaught” on the industry.
Trump, the Republican nominee, has repeatedly accused Harris of orchestrating a “war on American energy,” blaming her and President Joe Biden for the rise in fuel costs in recent years. On Thursday, Trump promised to reverse Biden-era policies that he says “distort energy markets.” Trump, who has labeled climate change a hoax, has also signaled plans to dismantle Biden’s key climate initiative, the Inflation Reduction Act, if re-elected.
The debate over Harris’s energy policy intensifies as she and Trump vie for the support of blue-collar workers in Pennsylvania, a major shale gas producer with 72,000 jobs—an influential voting bloc in a state Biden narrowly won in 2020.
Harris, who in 2019 supported a fracking ban, told CNN on Thursday that she has since changed her position, asserting that the U.S. can build “a thriving clean energy economy without banning fracking.”
Despite the Biden administration’s emphasis on clean energy, U.S. oil and gas production has reached record levels. However, gas industry executives have expressed concern over the federal pause on building new LNG export plants, arguing that this policy could stifle future shale production and compromise energy security.
Toby Rice, CEO of Pennsylvania-based EQT, the largest U.S. natural gas producer, urged Harris to lift the restrictions, warning that they pose a risk to energy security. “Putting aside her anti-fracking comments from four years ago, we need to address the recent LNG pause,” Rice said. “This policy has faced widespread criticism—from allies, industry leaders, and environmental advocates alike—and represents a step backward for both climate and American energy security.”
While Biden and Harris made climate a central issue in their 2020 campaign, Harris has largely avoided the topic, with only a brief mention of climate change in her speech at the Democratic convention. “It seems the Harris campaign has decided it’s safer to avoid upsetting either producers or climate activists by sidestepping these issues altogether,” observed Kevin Book, managing director of ClearView Energy Partners.
Climate-focused voters, however, appear less concerned by Harris’s lack of explicit policy positions. “The most important climate policy right now is defeating Donald Trump in November,” said Cassidy DiPaola of Fossil Free Media, a nonprofit organisation. “No amount of detailed policy proposals will matter if climate deniers control the White House.”
Recently, the political arms of the League of Conservation Voters, Climate Power, and the Environmental Defense Fund launched a $55 million ad campaign supporting Harris in swing states, focusing on economic issues rather than climate policy.
In contrast, Trump has secured strong backing from oil industry leaders who support his promises to slash regulations and eliminate clean energy subsidies. His campaign received nearly $14 million from the industry in June, nearly doubling his contributions from May, according to OpenSecrets.