HOW TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Cameron Energy Vice President John Stewart and Pennsylvania Building and Construction Trades Council President Robert Baer are on different sides of the presidential race. But they are on the same page when it comes to fracking, a key energy and environmental issue in the biggest election battleground state.
A majority of Pennsylvania voters support fracking, according to recent polls. But while former President Donald Trump’s support base draws the issue almost entirely from that side, Democrats like Vice President Kamala Harris and Pennsylvania’s governor and senators, supporters of major industries in the state, We must strike a balance between the coalition government and the opposition.
For Harris, that means working with Baer (who represents 130,000 construction workers unions across Pennsylvania and says America cannot function without fracking) and Katie, the political and legislative director for the Pennsylvania Conservative Voters group. This means gaining support from Mr. Bloom and others. He told NBC News that Pennsylvania lacks strong regulations and believes fracking is not important to modern society, praising the Biden-Harris administration’s historic climate change bill.
Residents and elected officials in Exton, Pennsylvania, voiced strong opposition to a pipeline carrying highly volatile fracking gas liquids shipped overseas for plastics production to cut through their backyards and neighborhoods. are. Eric McGregor/Getty Images
For Trump, it’s easier. Pennsylvania sits on “liquid gold” and should “drill, baby, dig,” he says.
Meanwhile, Harris has changed her position on the issue since her first presidential campaign in 2019, saying she is now “clear” that she will not ban fracking.
Mr. Stewart’s company operates about 1,800 oil wells in northwestern Pennsylvania. He said the economy was better when President Trump was in office.
“It shows you can actually plan a budget and achieve it with some predictability. The last few years have been incredibly unpredictable. Inflation is just going to kill us. ” Stewart said.
Beyond inflation, Stewart added, the Biden administration’s ban on liquefied natural gas exports has had an “immediate impact” by cutting off global markets and causing natural gas prices to plummet.
Stewart said he believes the conversation about hydraulic fracturing lacks substance and that the question of whether to ban hydraulic fracturing is due to the “boogeyman.”
“The question is, can we live without fracking in modern society? The answer is no. … We cannot do without oil and gas products. I can’t do that,” he said.
Baer agrees with the need for hydraulic fracturing. But he and his union supported the Harris-Waltz ticket.
Baer said it’s “very frustrating” to hear that the Trump campaign is “beating the drum” that Harris wants to end fracking.
“She’s not going to ban fracking. She’s already made that statement publicly,” he said. “She was willing to listen to us and reconsider her position. It’s very easy to get caught up in the problem. The hard part is when you decide you want to be part of the solution.”
He said the Biden-Harris administration has brought union jobs to Pennsylvania’s energy industry.
“This country’s energy policy needs to include fossil fuels in the short term. There’s no way around it,” he said, later adding. “Hydraulic fracturing and gas will be part of that as well, and our members will be running it and building it.”
President Donald Trump addresses 5,000 contractors at the Shell Chemicals petrochemical complex in Monaca, Pennsylvania, on August 13, 2019. Jeff Swensen/Getty Images
Fracking, short for hydrofracturing, is a process in which water and sand are pumped into the ground under pressure to “break” rock. The sand keeps the cracks open, allowing the release of oil and gas trapped within the rock. Oil and gas are eventually pumped from underground using oil wells.
The actual process of hydraulic fracturing takes about a day. Oil wells built on top of successful fracking operations can provide oil and natural gas for 40 to 50 years.
Devon Johnson, 23, a frac rig floorhand at Cameron Energy, supports Trump because of his “drill, baby, drill” message. Johnson said Trump “never shut down a pipeline like Biden did at the beginning of his presidency,” referring to the Keystone XL oil pipeline that was slated to run from Canada to Nebraska. said.
Meanwhile, Frank Gray, who works at Steamfitters Union Local 449 in Pittsburgh and teaches students how to install plumbing for hydraulic fracturing, sits on the other side. He said he supports Harris and is confident she won’t do anything that would “harm the fracking industry.”
“In 2020, she was the deciding factor in voting in favor of the (Inflation Control Act) bill in the Senate, and part of the IRA bill opened up more land for hydraulic fracturing. “She voted for it for people who are against fracking,” he said.
Bloom, a conservative Pennsylvania voter, also highly praised Harris’ record, but she focused on the Biden-Harris administration’s new spending to fund renewable energy.
“Natural gas is a major cause of climate change,” Blume said, adding, “Whether you’re for or against fracking, the market is completely changing now and we want to make sure we have diversity.” We need to do our best to achieve this,” he added. Build your energy portfolio as best you can, which is what the Biden-Harris climate finance legislation did. ”
Gray recognizes the environmental impacts if hydraulic fracturing is not done safely, including polluting the environment, contaminating water supplies, and causing ground tremors. Still, he said he believes it is possible to perform hydraulic fracturing and make it safe for the environment.
Some companies, like Stewart, keep their environmental impact top of mind. He plugs the wells and reuses the fracking water, allowing new plants to grow on all the exposed oil.
As voters begin to cast their votes, a common sentiment among those working in the industry is that there is a disconnect between the public’s perception of fracking and what they say the public needs. Examples of products that use oil extracted from hydraulic fracturing include petrolatum and fertilizers.
For many voters, the processes required to generate energy are often invisible.
“People don’t have to go out and get their hands dirty, which on the one hand is a very, very good thing, but it creates a disconnect,” Stewart said. “If you haven’t seen what it takes to put this energy on the ground, in your products, on your plate, you won’t understand how it’s done. You won’t be able to make good policy decisions about it.” Dew.”
Gray’s message to those advocating a ban on fracking is: We spend the winter here without heating. Let’s see how much it’s worth. ”
