Joe Biden’s remarks Thursday that he would seek to phase out oil were well-received by the renewables industry but stoked concerns among some oil and gas executives that a Democratic administration would further weigh down an industry hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr. Biden’s interest in tightening regulations on oil and gas while embracing cleaner forms of energy isn’t new. The former vice president has campaigned on policies including restricting greenhouse-gas emissions and banning new oil and gas permits on federal...