Late Energy Push Underscores Future Tug-o-War in Biden Policy

In the final days of the campaign, energy was a big-ticket item. It emerged a controversial issue in the last Presidential debate when former Vice President and current Democratic candidate Joe Biden said he would transition us away from the oil industry. Given the importance of the issue to key battleground states, talking heads on post-debate analysis shows thought it was a minor gaffe.

While Biden still managed to eke out a win in the Keystone State, the attacks from Trump and the excellent performance from Republicans statewide highlight cracks in the Biden Coalition as he now assumes the mantle of governing. And the lack of a blue wave that allowed Republicans to pick up seats in the House and likely maintain control of the Senate (pending the outcome of two Georgia runoffs where they have a slight edge) will further create need to develop consensus policy.

The mixed results show what we already knew: Biden’s energy transition must be fueled by new union jobs, and the balance underscores what will be a major challenge for Democrats now that he has been elected president.

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