What are the differences between Trump and Harris' energy policies?

Both Donald Trump, a Republican, and Kamala Harrias are Democrats. They both want to increase production while keeping prices low for consumers.

The main difference is that Harris wants to favor clean energy technologies that are crucial in fighting climate change. Trump, on the other hand, would roll back green regulations which hinder oil and coal drilling.

Next Tuesday, voters in the United States will have to face the same contrast as they head to the polls to elect their next president.

Scientists say that global climate efforts are failing to address the speed and magnitude of global warming. They would be further harmed if the world's biggest historical emitter abandoned its efforts to clean-up.

Details about the energy and climate policies proposed by Trump and Harris:

'ENERGY DOMINANCE'

In recent years, the U.S. became the largest oil and natural gas producer on the planet thanks to an explosion of drilling in areas like the Permian basin under Texas and New Mexico.

The incident occurred under the watchful eye of Democratic President Joe Biden. He was attempting to push forward the most ambitious climate agenda in the country, which included historic subsidies to solar, wind and other clean technologies, as well as regulations designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Trump's campaign claims that Trump cut red tape in his time as president, which led to the boom. The campaign argues that Trump can expand U.S. power in fossil fuel production by rolling back Biden’s climate initiatives in a second-term.

Harris, on the other hand, says that high oil and natural gas production is beneficial for the U.S. Energy Transition by keeping the consumer prices low, at a moment when the country invests in a switch to energy sources with lower emissions.

She also stated that she does not support a ban on the drilling technology, which has been responsible for much of the U.S. new production. This is a change from her position during her run for the White House in 2020.

Inflation Reduction Act

Trump said that he will "rescind any funds not spent" under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the signature climate law of the Biden-Harris Administration.

The 2022 law provides hundreds of billions in subsidies for solar, wind, and electric vehicles. It has also attracted huge investment in the domestic manufacturing of these industries.

Any change to the law will require an act by Congress. Several Republican legislators have stated their support for maintaining it or portions of it. The IRA is a great tool for Trump's supporters who invest in clean energy technologies.

Harris supports the IRA, and she has stated that her administration will continue to invest in clean energy if it wins the election.

PARIS AGREEMENT

Trump, who will be president of the United States from 2017-2021, withdrew his country from the Paris Agreement. This international agreement aims to combat climate change. He argued that it was unneeded and would put the U.S. at a disadvantage in comparison to China.

Trump's campaign claimed that he would repeat the act if he won.

Harris would have kept Washington in the agreement, to which Biden quickly returned in 2021.

THE GRID

The Trump campaign said that the Biden-Harris Administration's efforts to encourage the adoption of electric cars and to eventually reduce the use of fossils fuels pose a threat to the country's electricity grid in a time when demand for electricity is on the rise. It promised changes that would make it easier to get permits for new power plants.

Biden's Environmental Protection Agency published final rules in April that target pollution from power plants. This industry is responsible for almost 25% of the carbon emissions in the United States. The new rules will require that coal-fired power stations and any new natural gas-fired generation in the next decade capture emissions before they are released into the air.

Trump, in a speech on Sept. 5, criticized the rule and said it would lead to "a catastrophic energy shortage that will make inflation much worse."

In his speech, Trump stated that he would "immediately issue a National Emergency Declaration" to increase the domestic energy supply. With these broad authorities, we'll blast through bureaucratic obstacles to approve new drilling, pipelines, refineries, power plants, and reactors.

Harris' campaign also promises to expedite the permitting process, but only for projects with low or zero emissions.

According to her campaign site, "A Harris-Walz Administration would do this by investing in a thriving economy of clean energy and helping to realize the full potential from those investments by cutting back on red tape to ensure that clean energy projects can be completed quickly and efficiently while protecting our environment and health."

Trump opposes the U.S. auto emissions regulations announced in March. He lumps them together with Biden's "green initiatives" that, according to him, distort markets, drive up prices, and limit consumer choice.

Trump also promises to end the offshore wind industry that is already suffering from high costs and local opposition. This policy is different from the one of his first administration which favored this technology.

Harris supports offshore wind as well as EVs.

Natural Gas Liquid

In January, the Biden-Harris Administration froze all new LNG export permits to examine their environmental impact. This was a move made in an election year that pleased both green groups and voters.

If Harris wins the election, she'll likely be given the task of unwinding this pause, and incorporating new recommendations that come from the promised review. The administration has said it expects the review to arrive after the election.

Trump has stated that he will lift the LNG freeze immediately, and Harris' campaign said she will follow the outcome of the review in determining her LNG policy. (Written by Richard Valdmanis, Timothy Gardner and David Gregorio; edited by David Gregorio).

(source: Reuters)