In the first and likely only presidential debate before Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump sparred over a wide range of issues, but it was energy politics and fossil fuels that took centre stage. The debate, held at the National Constitutional Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, offered a glimpse into the stark differences between the candidates, particularly regarding climate change and America’s energy future. With Pennsylvania—a gas-rich swing state—being crucial for both campaigns, the focus on energy was inevitable. So let’s have a closer look at how fossil fuels and energy policy dominate first Harris-Trump presidential debate.

Climate Change: A Stark Contrast

The divide between Harris and Trump on climate change is clear and deep. Harris, representing the Biden administration, affirmed the reality of climate change, pointing to the increasing number of natural disasters and the role of rising global temperatures in worsening them. She referenced how extreme weather events are affecting Americans directly, including soaring home insurance rates in disaster-prone states like California and Florida. “What we know is that climate change is very real,” she said.

While Harris emphasized the real-world impacts of climate change, she offered little in terms of new policy proposals. Instead, she touted the Biden administration’s $1 trillion investment in the clean energy economy over the past four years, a figure she derived from various initiatives aimed at promoting renewable energy, reducing emissions, and supporting climate resilience. These investments, while significant, have been criticized for being somewhat disconnected from the scale of the crisis.

In stark contrast, Trump largely dismissed climate change, repeating his long-held belief that global warming is either exaggerated or a hoax. He steered clear of offering any substantive solutions, instead veering into unrelated accusations against President Biden regarding corruption and ties to China and Ukraine. Trump’s administration was marked by a rollback of environmental regulations, the withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, and the appointment of conservative Supreme Court justices who have made it harder for the federal government to regulate pollution.

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Harris Walks a Fine Line on Fracking

Perhaps the most surprising moment of the debate came when Harris distanced herself from her previous stance on fracking. In her 2019 presidential campaign, she openly supported banning fracking, a controversial method of extracting oil and gas. Yet, in the debate, Harris reversed this position, declaring, “I will not ban fracking.” She highlighted her tie-breaking vote on the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which, among other things, opened new leases for fracking, signalling her administration’s willingness to balance clean energy investments with fossil fuel production.

This move appeared designed to appeal to voters in states like Pennsylvania, where natural gas production through fracking is a major economic driver. Harris’s stance could be seen as a strategic effort to shed the image of being overly anti-fossil fuels—a label Trump has repeatedly tried to pin on her.

However, this pragmatic approach to fracking drew criticism from environmentalists, particularly from youth climate action groups like the Sunrise Movement, who argue that the severity of the climate crisis demands a more aggressive transition away from fossil fuels. “Harris spent more time promoting fracking than laying out a bold vision for a clean energy future,” the group said in a statement. For activists, a clear roadmap for transitioning to a fully renewable energy system remains conspicuously absent.

Trump’s Familiar Energy Playbook

Trump, meanwhile, stuck to familiar territory, using high gas prices as a political weapon against Harris and Biden. He claimed that under a Harris presidency, “oil will be dead, fossil fuel will be dead,” despite no such statements ever being made by the current administration. Trump’s rhetoric was aimed at painting Democrats as anti-fossil fuel extremists, though both Harris and Biden have maintained a more nuanced stance, balancing climate policy with efforts to maintain energy independence.

Trump also criticized renewable energy, specifically solar power, implying that Democrats are monopolizing vast swathes of desert land for solar installations. Since 2021, the Bureau of Land Management has approved over 33,500 acres for solar energy projects, much of it in the American West. While Trump claimed this was an example of government overreach, renewable energy advocates see these developments as a critical part of transitioning the U.S. toward clean energy.

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The Stakes in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania, as one of the key battleground states in the 2024 election, played an outsized role in the energy discussion. With its large reserves of natural gas, the state has been a flashpoint in the debate over how to balance economic and environmental interests. Fracking has brought economic benefits to parts of Pennsylvania but has also caused environmental damage, including groundwater contamination and increased methane emissions.

For Harris, the challenge was to convince Pennsylvanian voters that she is not the anti-fracking candidate Trump claims she is while also retaining support from the Democratic base, which is increasingly vocal about the urgency of addressing climate change. Whether she successfully walked this tightrope remains to be seen, but she left the debate with a high-profile endorsement from pop icon Taylor Swift, a Pennsylvania native. Swift’s support, announced via Instagram after the debate, could influence younger voters in the state.

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Conclusion: Energy and the 2024 Election

The how fossil fuels and energy policy dominate first Harris-Trump presidential debate it is certain that 2024 presidential election will have far-reaching consequences for the future of America’s energy policy and climate action. Harris and Trump represent two fundamentally different visions: one prioritizes clean energy investments and climate resilience, albeit with concessions to fossil fuel industries, while the other promotes fossil fuel dominance with minimal environmental regulations.

For voters in key swing states like Pennsylvania, the debate over fossil fuels, fracking, and renewable energy is about more than just policy—it’s about jobs, the economy, and the future of American leadership in tackling climate change. As the election approaches, the energy debate will continue to be a crucial issue for both campaigns, with the potential to shape not only the outcome of the election but also the country’s trajectory in addressing one of the most pressing challenges of our time.

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