fracking the battle for energy policy is shaping up around Harris Trump campaigns in political battles over fracking and energy policy political battles over fracking and energy policy the debate over fracking and the associated energy policy is at the center of political disputes in the USA especially in light of the upcoming presidential elections this technology which allows for the extraction of natural gas and oil from deep rock formations is both a controversial and crucial issue for the country's energy transition and climate policy in recent weeks the political lines have hardened significantly while the Republican Party led by Donald Trump promotes the use of fracking as an essential part of the national energy strategy many Democrats Express skepticism about this method in particular kamla Harris the sitting vice president is under Fire for advocating stricter regulations regarding the environmental impact of fracking your stance is interpreted as part of a broader attack on fossil fuels and their use Trump who frequently emphasizes the importance of fracking during his campaign appearances asserts that this technology creates jobs and promotes US Energy Independence he claims that a return to a less regulated energy policy is necessary to revitalize the economy especially after the economic impacts of the covid-19 pandemic while many politicians tout the benefits of fracking environmentalists and some scientists criticize the associated risks according to them fracking can lead to environmental pollution encroaching groundwater and even earthquakes some representatives of the democratic party have clearly spoken out against the methodology calling for a shift away from fossil fuels in favor of renewable energy in contrast proponents of fracking argue that the technology can be used used under appropriate regulations and that the economic benefits outweigh the drawbacks the challenge for kamla Harris is to find a balance between the differing positions within her party while some voters push for a radical shift in energy policy many others particularly from the working class want a pragmatic solution that also secures their jobs these tensions are increasingly reflected in the campaign strategies of the Democrats in the upcoming election the question of how to address the issues of fracking and energy production will likely play a central role a polling tool shows that a majority of Voters are now concerned about the climate impacts of fracking while at the same time a significant number of supporters of the technology reside in more rural areas and are heavily dependent on the jobs it provides the upcoming political struggles raise the question of how the USA will position itself in the coming years both in terms of energy policy and its commitment to National and Global Climate goals the campaign Promises of the candidates will be crucial in determining the direction of energy policy and fracking will continue to play a central role in this context author Anita fak Wednesday September 11th 2024