by Sheryll Bonilla, esq.
Two facts accurately characterize the Biden Administration: Joe Biden did more than any modern president to bring America away from fossil fuels to green alternatives, and he led the U.S. to be the largest producer of crude oil in the world.
America Leads the World in Oil Production Thanks to Biden
In 2023, the U.S. pumped out more oil than any other country in history, almost 1/5 of the world’s total oil production — producing millions more barrels than Russia or Saudi Arabia ever have.
In the Biden administration, each day U.S. oil wells pump out almost 13 million barrels on average, an all-time record.
America, under Biden’s presidency, produces more oil than Russia, Saudi Arabia, and other OPEC countries in crude oil production.
In fact, Biden beat OPEC at the beg-for-mercy game of high gas prices that they’ve been playing with the world for decades.
After Russia spiked prices during its war on Ukraine, the Biden administration used every tool it had to bring gas prices under control.
The U.S. released 180 million barrels from our national strategic petroleum reserve and pressured domestic companies to boost production. If private producers lowered their prices below a certain level, the administration promised to buy their oil.
Biden approved more permits for oil and gas drilling on public lands than Donald Trump. Drilling advancements improved efficiency in crude oil production, fostering its record numbers. Biden expedited the construction of a West Virginia oil pipeline and approved Alaska’s Willow oil project.
The U.S.’s increased oil production under Biden kept gas prices low, helping consumers all around the country meet their living expenses. That’s just part of the genius of Biden’s energy and climate change policy.
His administration kept energy prices stable until renewable energy became cheaper and more attractive to consumers so they made the switch on their own.
America Is Leading the World in the Fight Against Climate Change
Nearly 300 clean energy projects across the U.S. are in place or set to go thanks to Biden. These factories and other public works created hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs.
Billions of dollars in investment in renewable energy manufacturing projects came from two of his key accomplishments. Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (2022) is the largest climate legislation in American history.
This law builds on Biden’s 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which created a comprehensive set of clean energy incentives.
Besides job creation in the renewable energy industry, consumers also get tax credits for efficient appliances, clean energy technology, and electric vehicles. Electric vehicle sales hit a new record.
All 50 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico are or will build facilities for building a national electric vehicle charging network.
These charging stations are being installed across the U.S. to make it more attractive to own these energy-saving cars. One of the final segments in the legislation is clean hydrogen production to decarbonize and transition to clean energy.
All 50 states have seen the benefits of both laws, in terms of economic prosperity, progress toward renewables, cleaner air, and lower gas prices.
The Inflation Reduction Act invested $118 billion in factories to build solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, advanced batteries, and more. By making renewable energy cheaper, people will switch over to it voluntarily.
Solar power is in many places the cheapest energy source, while wind and solar are projected to provide 1/3 of the world’s power. Electric vehicles are on track to cost less than gas-powered cars by 2026 and are expected to make up 2/3 of car sales worldwide.
Another key component of climate strategy is tackling the super pollutants that cause warming, such as methane and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
Under those two laws, the Biden administration set out the Methane Action Plan, methane emissions fees, and strong standards to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas industry.
Globally, Biden was among the leaders who launched the Global Methane Pledge at the 2021 UN climate summit. More than 155 countries have signed onto the pledge and committed to cut their total methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030.
In 2021, Biden set a goal for 50% of new passenger vehicles to have 0 emissions by 2030.
The Environmental Protection Agency issued rules and standards during the Biden administration to cut in half climate pollution from new cars and light trucks by model year 2032, compared to 2026-year vehicles.
Greenhouse gas emissions are projected to lessen by 43% to 48% by 2035 from 2005 levels. Trump withdrew from the 2015 Paris climate agreement, reversing President Obama’s actions. President Biden rejoined the Paris Accord on his first day in office, January 20, 2021.
Pull All the Levers
Fans of “The West Wing” may remember the episode where fictional President Bartlett’s economic advisors sit around the conference table, arguing about what is the most effective way to stimulate the economy.
An economist himself, Bartlett strolls in during the debate and tells them the way to accomplish this is – all of the above, you press all the levers.
There are so many facets and variables involved that to bring about success, you need to push all the buttons.
To get to energy independence for national security, we need to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. That means making the transition to renewable energy and moving away from fossil fuels.
It also means – as another facet of the issue – that we produce enough of our oil and gas while we are manufacturing and setting in place our clean energy production.
Hydrogen and liquid natural gas in place of petroleum for vehicles – wind and solar and water and anaerobic digesters for electricity generation.
Biden’s success in climate change and national energy security is pure legend and a masterpiece of policy and legislation for which he simply has not gotten the credit he so well deserves.
Media attention on his age unfairly detracted from the credit he so rightly deserved. The attention should have been on what a true leader he is.
National energy security, energy independence, and true environmental progress on climate change will be among his crowning achievements in the history records of the Biden administration.
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