NEW ORLEANS — As the presidential election draws near, Democrat Joe Biden isn’t making many friends in the Louisiana oil patch.
During Thursday night’s debate, Biden pledged to transition away from the oil industry to address climate change.
“The oil industry pollutes significantly,” Biden said. “It has to be replaced by renewable energy, over time, over time.”
President Trump pounced.
“Basically, what he’s saying he’s going to destroy the oil industry,” Trump said.
Louisiana is the number two producer of crude oil and the number four producer of natural gas in the United States. According to a 2020 report, the industry has a $74 billion economic impact in the state and it supports about 250,000 jobs.
American Petroleum Institute Senior Vice President Frank Macchiarola said Biden’s plan to move away from fossil fuels would be devastating along the Gulf Coast.
“For the people of Louisiana, that means billions of dollars of revenues, that means jindreds of thousands of jobs and that means a direct shot at the foundation of Louisiana’s economy,” Macchiarola said.
Biden’s climate plan calls for the U.S. to have net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Alliance for Affordable Energy Executive Director Logan Atkinson said Louisiana has a lot to gain from a measured transition from fuels that pollute to cleaner energy.
“Solar and wind despite what the president said they are the cheapest energies possible and even with incredibly low natural gas prices,” Atkinson said. “Solar and wind, they are the fastest growth sectors for jobs for the next ten years.”
Louisiana Oil and Gas Association Interim President Mike Macla says Biden’s plan is not attainable.
“Sixty-three percent of t he electricity in the United States is still being driven by fossil fuels whether it be coal, oil, natural gas,” Macla said. “We are so far away from that.”
So, did Biden gain or lose votes with his position on oil and gas?
“When a threat like that gets thrown out there, it’s certainly not something we like to hear,” Macla said.
“I would imagine a lot of people, especially younger folks who are looking to preserve our future, especially along the fragile Louisiana coast really care about the message that there are different kinds of jobs to be had rather than the dangerous and dirty fossil fuel industry,” Atkinson said.
After the debate, Biden clarified his remarks saying he would stop giving money to the oil industry, rather than close it down entirely.
Biden says the country has a moral obligation to tackle climate change, while President Trump has questioned the well-established science behind it.