Biden: “I am not banning fracking”

At an October 2020 Presidential debate, Biden declared, “I never said I oppose fracking.” (Presidential Debate, ABC News, 10/22/20)

• At the same debate when outright asked if he would rule out a fracking ban Biden said, “I do rule out banning fracking.” Biden: “I do rule out banning fracking. Because the answer, we need other industries to transition to get to ultimately a complete zero emissions by 2025. What I will do with fracking over time is make sure that we can capture the emissions from the fracking, capture the emissions from gas. We can do that and we can do that by investing money but it’s a transition to that.” (Presidential Debate, ABC News, 10/22/20)

At an August 2020 campaign event in Pennsylvania, Biden said, “I am not banning fracking. Let me say that again. I am not banning fracking, no matter how many times Donald Trump lies about me.” (Joe Biden Pittsburgh, PA Speech about Fracking, 8/31/20)

At a September 2019 town hall on climate change, Biden said he would not call for a nationwide ban on fracking but would halt new drilling on federal lands. BIDEN: “Look, number one, I think the way we deal with state lands is we have less — we have less latitude, what we say we can and cannot do. I’ve argued against any more oil drilling or gas drilling on federal lands that we can — and to stop that. I think we should, in fact, be looking at what exists now and making a judgement whether or not the — those, in fact, that are there, those wells that are there, whether or not they’re dangerous, whether or not they’ve already done the damage, and what we can do from there by trying to change the attitude of the members of the governors of the various states and the state legislatures. Now, we could pass national legislation, but I don’t think we’d get it done, in terms of getting the votes to get it done, to say all fracking that’s going on now ends unless you can show there’s some physical security need or worried about explosions, et cetera, which is a legitimate thing to worry about. But I would not allow any more.” Cooper: “Also, I just want to point out, in fairness to the governor of Pennsylvania, he stopped short — he’s moved to regulate and limit some fracking, stopped short of calling for a statewide ban. So just to be clear, you would not call for a ban statewide on fracking or nationwide? You said stop new oil and gas drilling on federal lands?” Biden: “Yes.” (Climate Crisis Town Hall, CNN, 9/4/19)

At an October 2020 vice presidential debate, Kamala Harris said, “Joe Biden will not ban fracking. That is a fact.” Harris: “I will repeat. And the American people know. Joe Biden will not ban fracking. That is a fact.” (Vice Presidential Debate, CNN, 10/7/20)

(Kamala Harris, Twitter, 10/7/20)

Biden: “No, I don’t support the Green New Deal”

At a September 2020 Presidential debate, Biden said, “That is not my plan. The Green New Deal is not my plan.” (Presidential Debate, CNN, 9/29/20)

• Biden: “No, I don’t support the Green New Deal … I support the Biden plan that I put forward … The Biden plan, which is different than what he [Trump] calls the radical Green New Deal.” Biden: “The Green New Deal will pay for itself as we move forward. We’re not going to build plants that, in fact, are great polluting plants-“ Chris Wallace: “So, do you support the Green New Deal?” Biden: “Pardon me?” Wallace: “Do you support the-“ Biden: “No, I don’t support the Green New Deal.” Trump: “Oh, you don’t? Oh, well, that’s a big statement.” Biden: “I support-” Trump: “You just lost the radical left.” Biden: “I support the Biden plan that I put forward.” Wallace: “Okay.” Biden: “The Biden plan, which is different than what he calls the radical Green New Deal.” (Presidential Debate, CNN, 9/29/20)

Following the debate, Biden repeated this stance and said, “The Green New Deal that the President keeps trying to talk about, it’s not a bad deal, but it’s not the plan I have. That’s the Biden green deal, that’s what it’s about.” “On Wednesday, Biden reiterated this stance, telling reporters ‘the Green New Deal that the President keeps trying to talk about, it’s not a bad deal, but it’s not the plan I have. That’s the Biden green deal, that’s what it’s about.’” (Holmes Lybrand, “Fact-checking Biden’s attempts to distance himself from the Green New Deal,” CNN, 9/30/20)

Biden: Fossil fuels “made us a world energy superpower”

As Vice President, Biden credited fossil fuels for expanding the U.S. economy and shrinking its trade deficit. “‘What is the long play? To state the obvious, I’m not an investment banker, but I wouldn’t go long on investments that lead to carbon pollution. I’d bid a little more on clean energy,’ Biden said in a keynote speech at Goldman Sachs’ North American Energy Summit in New York City. ‘There’s a convergence around addressing climate change and carbon emissions, both here and abroad.’ The U.S. is now the world’s biggest producer of natural gas and the top exporter of petroleum products, thanks in large part to advancements in drilling technology and discoveries of ‘tight’ shale resources. Biden credited the fossil fuel growth with expanding the U.S. economy and shrinking its trade deficit.” (Maria Gallucci, “Biden Remarks Highlight Paradox Of ‘All-Of-The-Above’ Energy Strategy,” International Business Times, 6/12/14)

“Expanded energy production, he said, gives the White House greater influence in foreign policy as U.S. exports supplant supplies from ‘bad actors’ like Russia.” (Maria Gallucci, “Biden Remarks Highlight Paradox Of ‘All-Of-The-Above’ Energy Strategy,” International Business Times, 6/12/14)

• Biden: “All of this has made us a world energy superpower.” (Maria Gallucci, “Biden Remarks Highlight Paradox Of ‘All-Of-The-Above’ Energy Strategy,” International Business Times, 6/12/14)

Biden: “It’s all of the above for us”

In May 2012, Biden Said, “It’s all of the above for us … We desperately need all the sources of energy.” BIDEN: “It’s all of the above for us. We desperately need coal. We need it to get cleaner and cleaner. We desperately need all the sources of energy.” (“Biden In Ohio Changes Position On Coal,” WTOV9, 5/17/12)

Biden: “The United States accounts for only 15% of global emissions”

Biden’s 2020 campaign climate plan calls for, “Rally the rest of the world to address the grave climate threat.” (“Climate,” Biden For President, Accessed 1/15/21)

Biden’s 2020 campaign climate plan says, “The United States accounts for only 15% of global emissions, so we know we cannot solve this emergency on our own.” (“Climate,” Biden For President, Accessed 1/15/21)

• “Climate change is a global challenge that requires decisive action from every country around the world.” (“Climate,” Biden For President, Accessed 1/15/21)

At A June 2019 Democrat Presidential primary debate, Biden said, “We make up 15 percent of the problem; 85 percent of the world makes up the rest.” BIDEN: “And new science and technology to be the exporter not only of the green economy, but economy that can create millions of jobs. But, I would immediately rejoin the Paris Climate Accord. I would up the ante in that accord, which it calls for because we make up 15 percent of the problem; 85 percent of the world makes up the rest and so, we have to have someone who knows how to corral the rest of the world, bring them together, and get something done like we did in our administration.” (Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, NBC News, 6/27/19)

• Biden: “We have to have someone who knows how to corral the rest of the world, bring them together, and get something done like we did in our administration.” (Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, NBC News, 6/27/19)

At A September 2019 Town Hall, Biden said “The fact of the matter is that we make up 15 percent of the problem, the rest of the world makes up 80 percent, 85 percent of the problem.”  BIDEN: “It is an existential threat. There is no doubt about that. And the fact of the matter is that we make up 15 percent of the problem, the rest of the world makes up 80 percent, 85 percent of the problem. If we did everything perfectly, everything, and we must and should in order to get other countries to move, we still have to get the rest of the world to come along. And the fact of the matter is, we have to up the ante considerably. And I have great experience in leading coalitions both at home and internationally. And I think I can do that better than anybody who — no matter what their plans are.” (Climate Crisis Town Hall, CNN, 9/4/19)

• Biden: “We still have to get the rest of the world to come along … and I think I can do that better than anybody.” (Climate Crisis Town Hall, CNN, 9/4/19)

Biden: “We can create over 10 million jobs”

At A September 2019 town hall, Biden said of his energy plan, “We can create over 10 million jobs that are making $25 bucks an hour. We’re not talking about jobs you’re going to get a minimum wage.” BIDEN: “It’s all about seven generations out, but you got to deal with what’s going on with jobs. This is an enormous opportunity. An enormous opportunity. We can create over 10 million jobs that are making $25 bucks an hour. We’re not talking about jobs you’re going to get a minimum wage.” (Climate Crisis Town Hall, CNN, 9/4/19)

Biden Said Oil And Gas Workers Would Have The Opportunity To “Transition To High-Paying Jobs.” ALBERTA: “Vice President Biden, I’d like to ask you. Three consecutive American presidents have enjoyed stints of explosive economic growth due to a boom in oil and natural gas production. As president, would you be willing to sacrifice some of that growth, even knowing potentially that it could displace thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of blue-collar workers in the interest of transitioning to that greener economy?” BIDEN: “The answer is yes. The answer is yes, because the opportunity — the opportunity for those workers to transition to high-paying jobs, as Tom said, is real. We’re the only country in the world that’s ever taken great, great crises and turned them into enormous opportunities. I’ve met with the union leaders. For example, we should, in fact, be making that — making sure right now that every new building built is energy contained, that it doesn’t leak energy, that, in fact — we should be providing tax credits for people to be able to make their homes turn to solar power, where — there’s all kinds of folks out here, right here in California, who are now on the verge of having batteries that are about the size of the top of this podium that you can store energy when, in fact, the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining. We have enormous opportunities. For example, you talk about, would we relocate people who, in fact, were in a position where they lost their home? We have to not rebuild to the standard that existed before when we talk about when we come in and help people. We have to rebuild with the standard that exists today.” (Democrat Presidential Debate, PBS, 12/20/19)

A July 2020 survey of “both union and non-union” tradespeople reported that oil and gas jobs “have better wages, benefits and opportunities than renewables projects.” “In July the NABTU—whose affiliates include the Teamsters and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers—released two surveys of workers and statistics that analyze jobs across the energy economy. They found that ‘both union and non-union’ tradespeople report that oil and gas jobs ‘have better wages, benefits and opportunities than renewables projects.’” (Editorial, “About Joe’s Energy Jobs,” The Wall Street Journal, 8/24/20)

• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the oil and gas industry provides an average annual salary of $108,000, “nearly twice the private economy average” and can be even higher at large companies like Exxon Mobil, where median worker pay is about $170,000 a year. “The Bureau of Labor Statistics says the oil and gas industry provides an average annual salary of $108,000, nearly twice the private economy average. A Journal analysis last year found even higher average wages at large companies like Exxon Mobil, where median worker pay is about $170,000 a year.” (Editorial, “About Joe’s Energy Jobs,” The Wall Street Journal, 8/24/20)
• North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) president Sean McGarvey estimates that many union members would “take a 50% or 75% pay cut” if they changed jobs into the renewable energy industry. “Renewable medians are harder to measure, but NABTU president Sean McGarvey estimates that many union members would ‘take a 50% or 75% pay cut.’ In 2008 Barack Obama promised millions of ‘green jobs,’ but the great irony was that the oil-and-gas fracking revolution provided the real employment boom of his Presidency. According to a Bloomberg News analysis, the U.S. fossil fuels industry employs nearly five million people, including 250,000 in Pennsylvania, 174,000 in Ohio and 839,000 in Texas. Now Mr. Biden wants to extinguish those jobs on a bet on solar panels and wind turbines. As the union workers put it, c’mon, man.” (Editorial, “About Joe’s Energy Jobs,” The Wall Street Journal, 8/24/20)