Why climate is missing from climate groups' ad splurge

• And it's one that emphasizes consumer costs right now as inflation is high on the political radar.

Driving the news: The political arms of the League of Conservation Voters, Climate Power and the Environmental Defense Fund unveiled the campaign on Monday.

• The effort, working with the Future Forward PAC, focuses on Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and Nebraska's 2nd congressional district.
• It's the largest ad buy ever from climate groups in a presidential race, per LCV. The NYT first reported on it.

What's inside: One spot backs into energy, opening by touting Harris going after banks that "unfairly foreclosed" on people when she was California's AG.

• It then cites her prosecution of oil companies' environmental violations, while saying Donald Trump "has always stood with corporations that rip us off."
• Another starts with "prices are too high" and says Harris will attack oil industry "price gouging," and that growing "clean" energy production will cut power bills.

A third begins by saying the goal of Harris' presidency would be strengthening the middle class. It lists "advanced manufacturing and clean energy" as ways to get there, alongside capping drug prices and strengthening social security.

The big picture: The ads are consistent with the pocketbook topics central to the race and voters' longstanding concerns — and efforts to help Harris on the economy, where polls show her lagging Trump.

• Danielle Deiseroth, executive director of the lefty polling outfit and think tank Data for Progress, notes "kitchen-table economic issues have been a major concern this cycle."
• "So communicating to voters how clean energy will help relieve the pain in their wallets is key to defining the vice president's broader narrative around curbing high prices," she said via email.

Yes, but: There's a political upside to talking about climate head-on, according to Ed Maibach, who directs the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University.

• He tells me this may alienate 20%-30% of voters, but "those voters aren't going to vote for Harris anyway."
• "Among the 60 percent who might vote for Harris, they don't turn off when they hear the words climate change. Indeed, many of them turn on when they hear those words," he said via email.

Catch up quick: A note on the price gouging thing: Multiple Federal Trade Commission probes over the years have found little to no evidence of this in gasoline markets.

• But the FTC recently accused ex-Pioneer Natural Resources CEO Scott Sheffield of attempting to collude with OPEC on oil prices — claims he disputes.

What we're watching: Whether later phases of this big ad buy will tackle climate directly.