Harris' oil stance
During her time as California attorney general, Kamala Harris sued fossil fuel firms, prosecuted a pipeline company over an oil leak and investigated Exxon Mobil Corp. for misleading the public about climate change.
Now, with the vice president suddenly in contention for the Democratic nomination after President Joe Biden abandoned his reelection bid Sunday, that track record is of deep interest to both the US energy industry and climate activists alike.
A potential Harris presidency is seen as being more aggressive than Biden's in confronting oil companies for pollution and addressing environmental justice.
"She is the kind of leader who will hold the fossil fuel industry accountable, and that's what we need right now," said Representative Jared Huffman, a Democrat from Harris' home state.
Harris has been endorsed by President Joe Biden. Photographer: Bonnie Cash/UPI
While Harris is unlikely to make major shifts in the direction Biden charted on climate change, her opposition to offshore drilling and fracking suggests she'd be a fierce oil industry antagonist if she secures the Democratic nomination and wins the White House in November.
Analysts and environmental advocates say her stance on fossil fuel development puts her to the left of Biden. While he moved to temporarily halt offshore oil lease sales in his first week in office, he didn't follow through on his campaign promise to completely ban new permitting for public lands and waters.
Of course, Harris' role as California's attorney general — a position she held for six years — put her in a naturally combative stance against companies alleged to have violated state laws. There's no guarantee she'd be so pugilistic in the White House.
Still, when she campaigned for the 2019 election, Harris emphasized her fights against oil firms and outlined plans to step up federal environmental enforcement and hold polluters accountable.
Ultimately, her priority — and that for any Democrat seeking the party's presidential nomination — would be preserving Biden's climate-related achievements in court, said Kevin Book, managing director of the Washington consulting firm ClearView Energy Partners LLC.
While Republican nominee Donald Trump could use an array of powers to reverse Biden-era policies, Harris could lock those changes in, according to Book.
"We would expect that to be priority No. 1 for a Harris presidency — defending the Biden legacy," he said.
Now, with the vice president suddenly in contention for the Democratic nomination after President Joe Biden abandoned his reelection bid Sunday, that track record is of deep interest to both the US energy industry and climate activists alike.
A potential Harris presidency is seen as being more aggressive than Biden's in confronting oil companies for pollution and addressing environmental justice.
"She is the kind of leader who will hold the fossil fuel industry accountable, and that's what we need right now," said Representative Jared Huffman, a Democrat from Harris' home state.
While Harris is unlikely to make major shifts in the direction Biden charted on climate change, her opposition to offshore drilling and fracking suggests she'd be a fierce oil industry antagonist if she secures the Democratic nomination and wins the White House in November.
Analysts and environmental advocates say her stance on fossil fuel development puts her to the left of Biden. While he moved to temporarily halt offshore oil lease sales in his first week in office, he didn't follow through on his campaign promise to completely ban new permitting for public lands and waters.
Of course, Harris' role as California's attorney general — a position she held for six years — put her in a naturally combative stance against companies alleged to have violated state laws. There's no guarantee she'd be so pugilistic in the White House.
Still, when she campaigned for the 2019 election, Harris emphasized her fights against oil firms and outlined plans to step up federal environmental enforcement and hold polluters accountable.
Ultimately, her priority — and that for any Democrat seeking the party's presidential nomination — would be preserving Biden's climate-related achievements in court, said Kevin Book, managing director of the Washington consulting firm ClearView Energy Partners LLC.
While Republican nominee Donald Trump could use an array of powers to reverse Biden-era policies, Harris could lock those changes in, according to Book.
"We would expect that to be priority No. 1 for a Harris presidency — defending the Biden legacy," he said.
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