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

Energy manufacture leaders are pushing for Vice President Kamala Harris to explain her stance connected fossil substance accumulation successful nan last days of nan 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 ambiance advisor Camila Thorndike said successful an question and reply 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 nan vice president. 

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

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

She has besides many times noted her tie-breaking ballot for nan Inflation Reduction Act, aliases nan 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' guidelines connected earthy state and different fossil fuels is unclear, kick immoderate successful nan power industry. (Lindsey Janies/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

However, moreover successful nan Keystone State, state groups remain skeptical arsenic manufacture leaders statement that pinch conscionable days near earlier nan election, Harris has done small to spell retired really she would lead connected lipid and state issues, particularly erstwhile it comes to issues of fracking – a basal exertion to extract earthy state successful Pennsylvania. 

Instead, 1 statewide manufacture group said, her remarks person only inspired "more fracking confusion." 

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

Harris "continues to springiness mixed messages astir her position connected fracking – an rumor cardinal to voters successful battleground states for illustration 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," nan group said, "there is simply a chopped quality betwixt not banning fracking, and promoting power 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 nan Harris run travels done Pennsylvania … it remains to beryllium seen whether she will explain her position," they added.

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

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

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Harris, to date, has ignored calls to explain her nonstop argumentation positions connected power production, which was a heated taxable during nan Biden administration. 

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

"I americium proud that arsenic vice president complete nan past 4 years, we person invested a trillion dollars successful a cleanable power system while 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 position connected societal media arsenic nan 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 only "cement nan reality" that "the only campaigner successful this title who will unleash Pennsylvania power to trim inferior bills and substance American maturation is [Trump]."

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

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

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

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