What is fracking? Harris addresses stance in CNN interview

By Daniel Miller
Published  August 30, 2024 10:48am CDT
Fox TV Stations

FILE-Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris speaks on stage during the final day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 22, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The Brief

    • Vice President Kamala Harris said she supports fracking during a CNN interview Thursday night.
    • Harris once called for a ban on fracking in 2019 while campaigning for the Democratic nomination in the 2020 presidential primary.
    • Fracking is the process of extracting natural gas and oil from within the Earth’s surface.

null - Vice President Kamala Harris addressed an array of issues during her first sit down interview with CNN Thursday night. During the conversation, Harris shared her stance on fracking.

What is fracking?

Fracking is a method of extracting natural gas and oil from deep within the Earth’s surface. Formally named hydraulic fracturing, the practice has made the U.S. an oil and gas superpower over the past 10 years, along with horizontal drilling, according to the Associated Press. 

What Harris said Thursday

Kamala Harris confirmed in Thursday’s interview that she does not want to ban fracking, which is key to the economy of Pennsylvania, which produces more dry natural gas than every state except Texas, per the U.S. Energy Information Administration. 

RELATED: Kamala Harris CNN interview: Main takeaways

Harris added that she believed progress on climate change was possible without a ban on fracking, emphasizing the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act that included investments in clean energy, the USA Today reported. 

What Harris has previously said

The vice president once called for a fracking ban in 2019 while campaigning for the Democratic nomination in the 2020 presidential primary, USA Today noted. 

RELATED: Harris highlights middle-class support in first campaign interview 

What Trump has said 

Donald Trump said during a Pennsylvania rally in early August that his administration would support fracking. The Republican presidential nominee also repeatedly warned that Harris would ban fracking and devastate Pennsylvania’s economy.

While president, Trump supported fracking and called for his administration to assess the possible consequences of fracking bans like job losses for people who directly or indirectly benefit from the energy industry, according to whitehouse.gov.

The Source 

  • Information for this story was provided by the Associated Press, USA Today, WhiteHouse.gov, and the U.S. Energy Information Administration.  The AP cited an excerpt from Kamala Harris’ CNN interview where she discussed her stance on fracking. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.