Presidential Debate in Pennsylvania Dances Around the Energy Question

A Consol Energy horizontal gas drilling rig explores the Marcellus Shale outside the town of Waynesburg, PA on April 13, 2012. (MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP via Getty Images)

(The Center Square) — The presidential debate Tuesday night in Philadelphia focused on immigration, abortion, and crowd sizes at campaign rallies.

What went under-discussed, however, was one close to the heart of Pennsylvania’s economy: energy.

The attention it did receive centered on fracking, and Pennsylvania is the second-largest producer of natural gas in the country.

Vice President Kamala Harris clarified that she no longer supported banning fracking after saying in 2019 there was “no question I would ban fracking .” By 2020, she had disavowed that stance as Joe Biden’s running mate.

“I made that clear in 2020: I will not ban fracking,” Harris said. “My position is that we have got to invest in diverse sources of energy so we reduce our reliance on foreign oil. 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.”

That energy independence came from improvements in fracking.

Though Pennsylvania is a relatively minor player in oil production, America now produces “more crude oil than any country, ever,” going from fewer than 8 million barrels per day in 2013 to 13 million barrels per day in 2023.

Harris also argued that the Inflation Reduction Act boosted fossil fuels.

“I was the tie-breaking vote on the Inflation Reduction Act, which opened new leases for fracking,” she said.

Much of the IRA, however, has gone to renewable energy. More than $400 billion in taxpayer dolars has been earmarked for renewable energy in the form of subsidies, grants, and loans. In March, for example, $90 million was sent to Clearfield County for the state’s largest solar energy project.

When the IRA passed in 2022, then-Sen. Pat Toomey, a Republican, derided it as short-sighted and would bring more corporate welfare, higher taxes, and more government spending.

Trump countered that Harris has opposed fracking “for 12 years.”

“She will never allow fracking in Pennsylvania,” Trump said. “If she won the election, fracking in Pennsylvania will end on day 1 … oil would be dead, fossil fuels would be dead, we’ll go back to windmills and solar — by the way, I’m a big fan of solar.”

The former president also criticized the Biden administration for killing the Keystone XL pipeline, which would have transported from Canada through the Upper Midwest.

Though unnoted in the debate, Pennsylvanians are divided on fracking.

A 2022 poll from Muhlenberg College found that 48% of Pennsylvanians support fracking while 44% oppose it. But support has grown over the last decade — in 2012, only 39% of residents supported it and 49% opposed it.

A strong majority, 86%, saw the natural gas industry as important to the state’s economy, while 27% see fracking as a “major risk” to public health and 40% called it a “minor risk.”

The election could shape Pennsylvania’s energy future, if either candidate delivers on their campaign promises. Trump supports the growth of fossil fuels, while Harris wants to provide more subsidies and support to solar and wind energy, which is less than 2% of the state’s energy production.

Trump’s platform has the former president touting that he will “unleash energy dominance” if he’s re-elected.

“President Trump unlocked our country’s God-given abundance of oil, natural gas, and clean coal,” his website argues. “The Harris-Biden Administration reversed the Trump Energy Revolution and is now enriching foreign adversaries abroad. President Trump will unleash the production of domestic energy resources, reduce the soaring price of gasoline, diesel and natural gas, promote energy security for our friends around the world, eliminate the socialist Green New Deal and ensure the United States is never again at the mercy of a foreign supplier of energy.”

Harris’ platform focuses more on “lowering household energy costs” and “creating hundreds of thousands of high-quality clean energy jobs” with “record energy production.”

“As President, she will unite Americans to tackle the climate crisis as she builds on this historic work, advances environmental justice, protects public lands and public health, increases resilience to climate disasters, lowers household energy costs, creates millions of new jobs, and continues to hold polluters accountable to secure clean air and water for all.”