Biden on fracking: Says he would ‘transition’ from oil industry
Political analyst Ron Meyer with reaction to the Democrat’s debate remarks on U.S. energy needs.
During the second and final 2020 presidential debate on Thursday, Joe Biden made a stunning promise to “transition from the oil industry.”
“Would he close down the oil industry?” Trump asked. “Would you close down the oil industry?”
“I would transition from the oil industry, yes,” responded Biden, who later added that the oil industry “has to be replaced by renewable energy over time.”
Biden’s plan to replace America’s massive oil industry with much more expensive, much less reliable wind and solar generation is, on its own, a remarkable and radical promise that proves Biden’s commitment to far-left, wildly misguided environmental groups is much stronger than his dedication to the millions of people who depend on the affordable energy created by oil or the jobs the oil industry supports.
But make no mistake about it, Biden’s proposal to eventually eliminate the oil sector is just the tip of the iceberg. By the time Biden’s first term is over, should he win in November, America would be on track to phase out nearly all conventional forms of energy — including coal and natural gas, much of which is captured using hydraulic fracturing, commonly called “fracking.”
While campaigning during the Democratic Party’s presidential primaries, Joe Biden repeatedly promised voters he would put an end to the use of fossil fuels in the United States.
By the time Biden’s first term is over, should he win in November, America would be on track to phase out nearly all conventional forms of energy — including coal and natural gas, much of which is captured using hydraulic fracturing, commonly called “fracking.”
For example, at a September 2019 campaign event in New Hampshire, he told one young girl, “I want you to look at my eyes. I guarantee you, I guarantee you we’re going to end fossil fuel …”
That would mean the end of the more than 32,000 jobs in Pennsylvania directly related to the fracking industry, as well as millions of additional American jobs in the traditional coal, oil and gas industries.
Contrary to many promises to end the use of fossil fuels in the past, Biden has said for weeks his proposal would not eliminate all conventional energy jobs, and at the debate on Thursday, he once again promised that he would not “ban” fracking, even going so far as to state, “I never said I oppose fracking.”
Biden’s claim is a flat-out lie. Not only has Biden repeatedly promised to end the use of fossil fuels, his own campaign website states, “As president, Biden will lead the world to address the climate emergency and lead through the power of example, by ensuring the U.S. achieves a 100% clean energy economy and net-zero emissions no later than 2050.”
Biden’s website further promises, “On day one, Biden will sign a series of new executive orders with unprecedented reach that go well beyond the Obama-Biden Administration platform and put us on the right track. And, he will demand that Congress enacts legislation in the first year of his presidency that: 1) establishes an enforcement mechanism that includes milestone targets no later than the end of his first term in 2025 …”
Demanding a “100% clean-energy economy” and “net-zero emissions” — which would be guaranteed by an “enforcement mechanism that includes milestone targets” — would result in the end of virtually all conventional energy operations in the United States, including those related to fracking, coal and oil.
During the debate, Biden dismissed these concerns by suggesting fracking and other forms of traditional energy development could continue under his plan for a “100% clean-energy economy” because he would “make sure that we can capture the emissions from the fracking, capture the emissions from gas.
But this is also a wildly misleading statement. Carbon-capture technology is incredibly expensive, and it would make the cost of using natural gas and other conventional energy sources so high that it would effectively force conventional energy companies out of the marketplace, along with the millions of jobs they support.
Biden knows this. That’s precisely why he has closely aligned himself with people on the left who have long called for the end of oil, gas and coal production.
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You need not look any further than to Biden’s running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., who said at a town hall in 2019, “There’s no question I’m in favor of banning fracking.”
Harris also co-sponsored the Senate version of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s radical Green New Deal, which proposes to phase out all fossil fuels in just one decade.
Speaking of comrade AOC, Biden agreed to have her serve as a co-chair of his climate change “Unity Task Force” earlier this year, along with former Secretary of State John Kerry, who also supports phasing out all fossil fuels.
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Further, if you believe Biden will allow fracking and coal production to continue indefinitely so long as these energy sources are shipped overseas and not used in the United States, then think again. The entire purpose of Biden’s plan is to help limit global carbon dioxide emissions, because he believes those emissions are creating a dangerous climate crisis that poses an “existential threat” to human life on earth, a totally ridiculous position that is not substantiated by the available science.
This is further evidenced by Biden’s commitment to create a global trade war “to stop other countries from cheating on their climate commitments.”
“Biden will not allow other nations, including China, to game the system by becoming destination economies for polluters, undermining our climate efforts and exploiting American workers and businesses,” Biden’s climate plan states.
Among those “polluters” Biden is promising to fight against are, according to his campaign website, those linked to “carbon pollution,” which, of course, includes coal and natural gas.
Now, it’s true that Biden’s plan would not decimate all conventional energy jobs overnight. Just as Biden suggested at the debate, there would be a “transition.” But the bottom line is, given enough time, Biden’s policies would result in the destruction of nearly every oil, natural gas and coal job in the country, driving up energy prices and forcing energy-intensive businesses out of the United States.
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Some of the millions of jobs lost under Biden’s plan would be replaced by his proposal to build millions of wind turbines and solar panels, but there’s no guarantee those jobs would be filled by the same workers who would end up losing their jobs in the natural gas, oil and coal industries. And Biden’s proposal would do nothing to help the millions of other workers who would suffer when manufacturing and other energy-intensive businesses are forced to close or move overseas to escape Biden’s high taxes, regulations and costly climate change energy mandates.
Don’t believe Biden’s political word games. When it comes to the U.S. energy industry, Biden has made it clear where his real loyalties lie, and it isn’t with middle-class and working-class American families.