Energy policy has been a point of contention between the political parties in recent years, with Democrats calling for reduced domestic production in the name of environmentalism and Republicans pushing for more output to reduce America’s reliance on hostile foreign nations.
Not only have efforts to scale back production raised concerns about the escalating cost of energy nationwide, but it threatens the economies of states like Pennsylvania, where the export of natural gas is big business. Nevertheless, President Joe Biden issued a decree earlier this year to halt the approval process for certain natural gas export projects, prompting every House Republican and nine Democrats to pass a bill to reverse his order.
“President Biden has issued executive orders and given direction to the federal agencies across the government to shut down American energy production, even at the expense of jobs, economic development, national security and the climate,” asserted U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC).
The clear political dichotomy has divided voters as well as elected officials, as evidenced in a recent poll by the Commonwealth Foundation. The public policy group headquartered in Pennsylvania determined that voters in the state are more likely to support former President Donald Trump’s energy policies than those of the current president.
In addition to the 37% who said they trusted Trump and 34% who preferred Biden, another 15% of respondents were undecided and 4% supported independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Commonwealth Foundation senior manager of energy policy Andre Beliveau provided some analysis of the results, explaining: “Pennsylvania voters have made it clear they prioritize energy affordability and reliability over climate alarmism. Likewise, Pennsylvanians overwhelmingly support economic freedom and oppose excessive government regulations and red tape.”
A majority — 54% — of respondents expressed opposition to Biden’s plan to pause liquified natural gas exports, a decision that has even attracted backlash from prominent Democrats in the state.
Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman said Thursday they have concerns about President Joe Biden’s decision to pause approvals for additional liquefied natural gas plant exports, a rare break with the administration for the Pennsylvania Democrats.https://t.co/kFz365EW3A
— The Philadelphia Inquirer (@PhillyInquirer) February 2, 2024
Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has maintained a polling advantage over Biden in Pennsylvania and other swing states for months, and his energy policies appear to reflect yet another issue on which he is leading the incumbent.
“Energy affordability is going to be a top priority for voters in Pennsylvania, especially as we’re leading up to the elections in November,” Beiveau concluded.
