Roll Call: “Climate Becomes Hot Campaign Issue,” As Trump’s Ex-Big Oil Lobbyist DOI Secretary Plugs Trump’s Vow to Destroy Clean Energy Jobs

WASHINGTON, D.C – Yesterday, Roll Call reported that climate is a major campaign issue that’s only heating up as the match-up between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump heads into the final stretch. The contrast between Kamala Harris’ opportunity economy, which is focused on creating jobs and lowering costs for the middle class, was put on full display as David Bernhardt, the former fossil fuel lobbyist who Trump handpicked as Interior Secretary, promoted Trump’s Project 2025 agenda to destroy clean energy jobs and threaten America’s future by reversing our climate progress. 

Brand new data showing that good-paying clean energy jobs are growing at double the rate of overall job growth did nothing to stop Trump’s top aide from parroting Big Oil’s talking points as he swore that Trump would implement his dangerous Project 2025 blueprint no matter how much it would hurt the middle class or raise energy costs.  

Climate Power’s Communications Director Alex Glass issued the following statement: “Kamala Harris cast the tie-breaking vote to supercharge America’s booming clean energy economy, which is creating good-paying jobs and lowering costs for middle-class Americans. It’s a message that resonates with voters and is a complete contrast with Trump’s plans to fight for his billionaire buddies and Big Oil donors. In fact, Trump is doubling down on his promises to Big Oil by sending his favorite fossil fuel-funded flunkie to talk to reporters – it’s just as tone-deaf as it is short-sighted. Voters want a president who is fighting to create jobs, lower costs, and protect our freedom to clean air and water. Trump’s agenda and messengers underscore how far he is from fighting for the strength and future of middle-class Americans.”

Roll Call: “The Trump campaign is promising to rescind Biden administration energy-sector regulations intended to curtail greenhouse gas emissions to help the nation reach international climate targets.

The move, if former President Donald Trump is reelected, would set a future Trump administration for a repeat of its first-term policies, in which a number of previous regulations related to energy and climate were either scrapped or weakened.

On a call with reporters ahead of Trump’s campaign speech Thursday in Potterville, Mich., former Trump administration Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said current EPA regulations would force the retirement of power plants, ultimately requiring utilities to shift to an inadequate supply of “unreliable” wind, solar and battery storage.”

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“On Wednesday the Energy Department released data that found that more than half of the jobs added to the energy sector last year were clean energy jobs, with a higher-than-average unionization rate than other positions in the industry. These clean energy positions also grew at double the rate of the nation’s overall jobs.”