Democrats Split Over Energy as Gas Prices Rise, Ukraine at War

Democratic efforts to define the party’s energy policies are facing mounting pressure as surging gasoline prices, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the collapse in Congress of President Joe Biden’s climate spending package heighten scrutiny of their agenda.

American consumers have confronted rising energy costs at home and at the gas pump for months, while the escalating conflict in Ukraine puts further pressure on prices due to Europe’s reliance on Russian energy. In Congress, the administration’s ambitious Build Back Better bill, which contains $550 billion worth of clean energy and climate provisions, is near death.

That global instability in the energy ...