Biden presidency to cast shadow over shale

Mounting pressure from Democratic Party to tackle climate change threatens future of the sector

The 2020 US presidential contest presents the country’s shale patch with two stark alternatives: continued vitality versus gradual or rapid decline. This is in sharp contrast to the two previous US polls, when the industry had comparatively little to fear from a victory by either the Democratic or Republican candidates. A victory by Republican president Donald Trump would signal a continuation of policies that bolster and support the development of shale resources. For at least four more years there would be no significant federal government pressure on the oil and gas industry to reduce its carbon footprint. Federal action would favour the development of fossil fuel energy resources over vi