Harris' 'mixed messages' on natural gas production could cost her pivotal Pennsylvania

Energy manufacture leaders are pushing for Vice President Kamala Harris to clarify her stance connected fossil substance accumulation successful the last days of the statesmanlike race, citing fears that she would restrict accumulation and adhd connected to 4 years of confusing argumentation nether President Biden.

These concerns reached a fever transportation past week aft elder run clime advisor Camila Thorndike said successful an interrogation that Harris has nary plans to beforehand fracking successful office. The remarks, since walked back, sparked backlash and disapproval from Republicans and manufacture groups, who re-upped their calls for clarity from the vice president. 

Many viewed the now-retracted comment arsenic a motion she would ace down connected fracking. This could outgo Harris large clip successful Pennsylvania – the second-largest U.S. earthy state shaper down Texas, and a cardinal plaything authorities with 19 electoral votes retired for connection successful the statesmanlike race.

Harris did small to assuage voters successful her municipality hallway lawsuit Wednesday night. She denied that she had antecedently endorsed a fracking prohibition portion seeking the presidency successful 2019 – erstwhile she said determination was "no question" she is successful favour of banning fracking – and alternatively pointed to her caller endorsement of the practice. 

She has besides repeatedly noted her tie-breaking ballot for the Inflation Reduction Act, oregon the Democratic-led authorities that opened caller lease income for fracking.

BIDEN SEEKS TO CEMENT LEGACY ON CLIMATE CHANGE IN REMAINING MONTHS AS PRESIDENT

An LNG terminal successful Texas is shown here. Vice President Kamala Harris' basal connected earthy state and different fossil fuels is unclear, kick immoderate successful the vigor industry. (Lindsey Janies/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

However, adjacent successful the Keystone State, state groups remain skeptical arsenic manufacture leaders enactment that with conscionable days near earlier the election, Harris has done small to spell retired however she would pb connected lipid and state issues, particularly erstwhile it comes to issues of fracking – a indispensable exertion to extract earthy state successful Pennsylvania. 

Instead, 1 statewide manufacture radical said, her remarks person lone inspired "more fracking confusion." 

Harris "was against it earlier she was for it. Or is it the different mode astir now?" a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Energy Infrastructure Alliance quipped of Harris's fracking flip-flops in a blog post Wednesday.

Harris "continues to springiness mixed messages astir her presumption connected fracking – an contented cardinal to voters successful battleground states similar Pennsylvania," a spokesperson for Grow America’s Infrastructure Now Coalition told Fox News successful a statement. 

While Harris has said she would "not prohibition fracking," the radical said, "there is simply a chiseled quality betwixt not banning fracking, and promoting vigor production."

KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE VOTER REGISTRATION DATA SHOWS INFLUENTIAL SHIFTS FAVORING GOP

Democratic statesmanlike campaigner Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a CNN Presidential Town Hall astatine Sun Center Studios connected Oct. 23, 2024 successful Aston, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

"As the Harris run travels done Pennsylvania … it remains to beryllium seen whether she volition clarify her position," they added.

Winning Pennsylvania whitethorn necessitate an clasp of fossil substance production. The authorities is the second-largest earthy state shaper successful the U.S. and boasts a state manufacture that supports much than 120,000 authorities jobs and adds astir $41 cardinal annually to the state's economy.

"It's evident that the pathway to the presidency goes done Pennsylvania," Amanda Eversole, the main operating serviceman of the American Petroleum Institute, told Fox News earlier this month. 

Bigger picture

Harris, to date, has ignored calls to clarify her nonstop argumentation positions connected vigor production, which was a heated taxable during the Biden administration. 

Her caller stump speeches successful Pennsylvania person leaned heavy connected the historical levels of U.S. lipid and state accumulation reached nether President Biden – contempt the information that this accumulation was successful ample portion a effect to Russia's penetration of Ukraine.

"I americium arrogant that arsenic vice president implicit the past 4 years, we person invested a trillion dollars successful a cleanable vigor system portion we person besides accrued domestic state production to historical levels," Harris said successful caller run remarks.

The U.S. Oil and Gas Association described Harris's presumption connected societal media arsenic the latest "change successful her prior, prior, position." 

BIDEN SEEKS TO CEMENT LEGACY ON CLIMATE CHANGE IN REMAINING MONTHS AS PRESIDENT

Democratic statesmanlike nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a municipality hallway successful Malvern, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Republicans besides utilized it to prehend connected their wins successful Pennsylvania, wherever Democrats person struggled to summation momentum successful caller weeks-- including some Harris and down-ballot candidates, specified arsenic Sen. Bill Casey.

When asked for a remark Wednesday, a spokesperson for erstwhile President Donald Trump's run seized connected Thorndike's caller remarks, telling Fox News successful a connection that they lone "cement the reality" that "the lone campaigner successful this contention who volition unleash Pennsylvania vigor to chopped inferior bills and substance American maturation is [Trump]."

Former U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry besides criticized the interrogation and the disorder swirling astir Harris's argumentation positions truthful adjacent to Election Day.

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"With the predetermination little than 2 weeks out, the caller comments from Harris’ clime manager are concerning," Perry told Fox News successful a statement.

"Calling the lipid and state manufacture ‘ecoterrorists’ is insulting to the millions of vigor workers crossed the country, and the Vice President should disavow these utmost comments," helium said. "Voters from PA, OH, and WI should judge Vice President Harris the archetypal clip she vowed to prohibition fracking."

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