Topline
Hard-core supporters of President Trump, including his son, Donald Trump Jr., are suggesting Biden has already flip-flopped on a major campaign promise that he would not impose a nationwide ban on fracking—and here’s why that’s false.
U.S. President Joe Biden walks the abbreviated parade route after Biden’s inauguration on January … [+]
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Key Facts
A story claiming Biden will ban fracking was published by conservative news site Townhall, which simply explained that Biden would—as he said he would during his campaign—deny permits for new fracking on federal land.
It’s an important difference because the majority of fracking takes place on private land, with only 12% of U.S. natural gas production and nearly a quarter of U.S. oil production coming from federal lands, according to a 2020 study from the American Petroleum Institute, an energy industry group.
And the president does not even have the power to ban fracking nationally.
Biden had promised during the campaign trail that he would not enact a nationwide fracking ban—but created confusion by misstating his position during debates with both Bernie Sanders in the primary, and later, with Donald Trump, and later had to issue clarifications.
Key Background
Throughout the campaign, Biden walked a fine line with his position on fracking, seeking to carry environmentalists as well as important constituencies in Pennsylvania where fracking is a major industry. Biden has indicated he thinks the country should gradually move away from fossil fuels, but thinks fracking should continue in the meantime as a “transition.” The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Forbes on Biden’s long-term plans for fracking. Progressive Democrats during the primaries, such as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, supported a nationwide ban on fracking, which includes private lands. Still, Trump repeatedly attacked Biden by falsely claiming he wanted to ban fracking during the campaign.
Tangent
Biden did revoke a presidential permit for the Keystone XL pipeline and place a moratorium on planned oil and gas development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Crucial Quote
“We’re going to get to net zero emission by 2050, and we’ll get to net zero power emissions by 2035. But there’s no rationale to eliminate, right now, fracking,” Biden said during a CNN Town Hall in September.
