Former President Donald Trump wants to maintain America's status as an energy superpower, by continuing the exploration and production (E&P) of oil, natural gas and coal. Since the start of the shale revolution, the U.S. has added oil and natural gas E&P equivalent of over two and a half times that of Saudi Arabia.
In contrast, Vice President Kamala Harris has publicly expressed her intent to ban hydraulic fracturing (fracking) even though, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), “95 percent of new wells are developed through fracking.” The DOE’s Energy Information Administration also reports that, since 2018, fracking has contributed to approximately two-thirds of total U.S. natural gas production and about half of U.S. crude oil production.
Trump aims to cancel the costly and impractical electric vehicle mandate, while removing burdensome energy regulations. In contrast, Harris and President Biden took 170 regulatory actions that complicate the production and delivery of American energy. Trump would reverse the Biden-Harris "pause" on new liquid natural gas terminals, pipelines, and production. Notably, 2019 marked the first time in 67 years that U.S. annual gross energy exports exceeded gross energy imports.
During Trump’s presidency, the U.S. became the No. 1 producer of oil globally and maintained its position as the No. 1 natural gas producer, while dropping U.S. carbon emissions to their lowest level in 25 years. After Trump left the punitive Paris Climate Accords, the U.S. reduced its carbon emission more than any other signatory to the non-enforceable agreement.
One of the main air pollution measurements – particulate matter – was “approximately five time lower than the global average” during his administration. Out of character for the “drill-baby-drill” crowd, Trump placed a moratorium on offshore drilling and offshore wind off the Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida coasts because of tourism concerns.
Other Trump environmental highlights included reforming Section 401 of the Clean Water regulation to “allow for the curation of interstate infrastructure.”
By unlocking America's oil and natural gas, and signing two laws reviving nuclear power’s potential, Trump achieved national security objectives through soft power. He also signed an executive order directing “Federal agencies to work together to diminish the capability of foreign adversaries to target American critical electric infrastructure.”
During Trump’s administration, there were no Russian invasions of Ukraine, overt Chinese threats toward Taiwan, or significant destabilizing actions from Iran in the Middle East. NATO remained intact despite Turkey's increasing alignment with Iran and Russia. Moreover, Trump did not choose a vice president closely aligned with China, America's greatest geopolitical rival.
To see the potential future of the U.S. if we follow Harris' proposals, look at current energy policies for Britain, Australia and Germany, which have taken an approach opposite to Trump’s. These examples can provide insights into what might lie ahead if we move in that direction.
Now, let’s take an in-depth look at Harris' record during her time with Biden and her tenure as a senator, and explore the impact of California energy policies she supports.
Biden-Harris Energy Policies
With Harris’ approval, Biden shut down the Keystone Pipeline, which transported over 800,000 barrels of oil per day and supported 11,000 jobs. Offshore development in the Gulf of Mexico was also severely restricted, with the fewest lease sales in history, leading to reduced revenues for Gulf states, the U.S. Treasury and conservation funds. Biden also banned LNG exports in an attempt to boost his re-election campaign – another decision Harris has never opposed.
Furthermore, Biden and Harris pushed for Bureau of Land Management rules to halt drilling on federal lands. The National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska was put off-limits, while the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in Texas and Louisiana is being depleted for short-term political gains.
Imagine if these resources were responsibly drilled and the oil and natural gas were sent to Ukraine, the European Union, India – even China – instead of causing them to rely on Russian, Iranian and Qatari hydrocarbons. Leveraging energy as soft power can build economies and save lives, reducing the need for kinetic warfare.
The current record energy production we’re seeing is largely a result of policies from the Trump administration, which approved more fossil fuel exploration and production than Biden and Harris. The energy abundance that Biden and Harris are benefiting from today took years to develop, starting during Trump’s tenure.
The U.S. possesses vast reserves of natural gas, particularly in the Permian Basin, Marcellus Shale, Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico, which are crucial for power generation, energy production, national security and over 6,000 petrochemical products. Despite this, Biden and Harris have worked tirelessly to shut down and overregulate pipelines, even though pipelines are significantly safer for transporting oil and natural gas than specialized long-haul trucking and train systems – and essential for actually producing fuels from wells that were drilled.
The shortage of pipelines on the East and West Coasts means that the economic and security benefits of exporting energy to American residents, businesses and energy-hungry allies are being lost. Under Harris' leadership, the U.S. has sacrificed its global position, leaving allies increasingly dependent on Russia, China and OPEC for energy. This is evident in the significant amounts of natural gas Europe continues to import from Russia. The chart here illustrates this point. The Biden-Harris sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine have proven to be an abject failure.
Harris has aligned with Biden on every one of these energy policies. For Trump and the Republican Party, the strategy should be to let Harris’ own words, actions and record speak for themselves, reminding the American people of who she truly is. Attacking her directly won’t be effective, but highlighting her own statements and decisions will be. So, who is Kamala Harris, and what does she actually believe? Our third and final piece will examine those questions.
Todd Royal earned his M.P.P. from the School of Public Policy at Pepperdine University. He is program manager for research development at the Southeast Nuclear Council and host of its Nuclear Perspectives webinar.
Robert G. Kaufman, Ph.D., is the Robert and Katheryn Dockson Professor of Public Policy at Pepperdine University and specializes in American foreign policy, national security, international relations, and America politics.