(Bloomberg) -- Kamala Harris touted the record US oil boom during her time as vice president in Tuesday’s debate with Donald Trump, signaling a pragmatic approach on energy and climate policy pitched at swing state voters.
Harris twice invoked the surge in US crude and natural gas production in the televised proceedings — a striking embrace of the nation’s fossil fuel output for a candidate who more often touts her green credentials and history taking on Big Oil as California’s top prosecutor.
“We have got to invest in diverse sources of energy so we reduce our reliance on foreign oil,” Harris said. “We have had the largest increase in domestic oil production in history because of an approach that recognizes that we cannot over-rely on foreign oil.”
Domestic crude output has climbed to a record under President Joe Biden’s administration, though Democrats have been largely reluctant to brag — knowing that could alienate some progressive and green voters. Production averaged 12.9 million barrels a day last year, eclipsing a previous annual high set under Trump in 2019, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
Harris’ approach on the debate stage suggested a candidate seeking to find a balance that appealed both to oil and gas advocates — including workers tied to the industry in the key swing state of Pennsylvania — and younger climate voters whose turnout could be critical on Election Day.
“As vice president, over the last four years, we have invested over a trillion dollars in a clean energy economy, while we have also increased domestic gas production to historic levels,” said Harris, who also noted the impact of extreme weather on the availability and cost of home insurance.
The decision to highlight oil and gas output, and Harris’ reiteration Tuesday that she wouldn’t support any ban on fracking, is a clear difference from her 2019 campaign for the Democratic presidential candidacy. Back then, Harris pledged to halt selling new fossil-fuel rights on public lands and to phase out existing oil and gas leases as part of a $10 trillion climate plan.
“Harris missed a critical opportunity to lay out a stark contrast with Trump and show young voters that she will stand up to Big Oil and stop the climate crisis,” said Stevie O’Hanlon, a spokesman for the progressive Sunrise Movement. “Harris spent more time promoting fracking than laying out a bold vision for a clean energy future.”
Trump, who has vowed to rescind unspent climate funds and to target offshore wind projects, was steadfast in insisting that Harris would move to quickly restrict onshore oil and gas production if she won office.
“They’d go back to destroying our country, and oil will be dead, fossil fuel will be dead,” Trump said.
A president’s power to unilaterally restrict fracking — even under federal oil and gas leases — is limited, and barring the practice on private land would require an act of Congress.
Trump also attacked Harris over her support for renewables, and claimed solar requires vast areas of land to be effective. “They need a whole desert to get some energy,” he said.
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