Democratic nominee Joe Biden said he would transition away from the oil and gas industry over time as part of his climate plans, opening the door to Trump campaign criticism in the election’s final stretch.
“I would transition from the oil industry, yes,” Biden said during back-and-forth sparring with President Trump over climate change during Thursday night’s debate.
“That’s a big statement,” Trump said in response.
“It is a big statement,” Biden added. He then said that oil “pollutes significantly” and “has to be replaced by renewable energy over time.” Biden also said he would end federal subsidies for oil.
Trump, previewing a message his campaign is likely to use in the next week and a half, argued Biden was admitting that “he’s going to destroy the oil industry,” calling on Texas and Pennsylvania to “remember that.”
Already, some oil-state Democrats running in tight races are distancing themselves from Biden’s comments.
“Here’s one of the places Biden and I disagree. We must stand up for our oil and gas industry,” said Rep. Kendra Horn, an Oklahoma Democrat facing a tough reelection race, in a tweet. “We need an all-of-the-above energy approach that’s consumer friendly, values energy independence, and protects OK jobs. I’ll keep fighting for that in Congress.”
The Trump campaign has hit Biden hard in recent weeks, arguing the former vice president would restrict fracking of natural gas, which would kill jobs in states like the key swing state Pennsylvania. The campaign has seized on a gaffe from Biden during a Democratic primary debate where he declared, “No new fracking,” as well as prior comments from his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, that she would back a fracking ban.
But Biden has unequivocally and repeatedly stated he would not ban fracking, and he has said natural gas is necessary as the country transitions to a net-zero emissions economy. He repeated that sentiment on the debate stage Thursday, saying he would “rule out” banning fracking, though he did acknowledge his climate plan would bar new oil and gas leasing on federal lands.
Biden’s climate plans call for zeroing out emissions in the power sector by 2035 and achieving net-zero emissions economywide by 2050. That trajectory will inherently require a decline in fossil fuel consumption, including oil and gas, though Biden has walked a tightrope on the issue given the importance of those jobs in many swing states.
During the debate, Biden also said he would invest in technologies to capture carbon emissions from natural gas.
Trump, meanwhile, argued Biden would be influenced by left-wing members of his party, including New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who want to see a direct ban on fracking.
The president didn’t, however, offer any plans he would implement to curb climate change, beyond briefly mentioning a global effort he’s joined to help plant 1 trillion trees worldwide in the next decade.
